A Second Reckoning: Race, Injustice, and the Last Hanging in Annapolis

The book "A Second Reckoning" tells the story of John Snowden, a Black man accused of the murder of a pregnant white woman in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1917. He was tried by an all-white jury and sentenced to death despite refusing to confess. Decades after his death, he was pardoned posthumously by the governor of Maryland in 2001. The book argues that reckoning with America's judicial past, especially in cases of prejudice, is necessary to address past racial injustices and calls for a reexamination of such cases by the Department of Justice.

Format: Hardback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 28 December 2021
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

A Second Reckoning is a powerful book that tells the story of John Snowden, a Black man accused of the murder of a pregnant white woman in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1917. Despite undergoing torture and being tried by an all-white jury, Snowden refused to confess, and was ultimately found guilty on circumstantial evidence and sentenced to death. Despite last-minute appeals to spare his life, Snowden was hanged for the crime. However, decades after his death, thanks to tireless efforts by interested citizens and family members who believed him a victim of a legal lynching, Snowden was pardoned posthumously by the governor of Maryland in 2001.

A Second Reckoning uses Snowden's case to bring posthumous pardons into the national conversation about amends for past racial injustices. Scott D. Seligman argues that the repeal of racist laws and policies must be augmented by reckoning with America's judicial past, especially in cases in which prejudice may have tainted procedures or perverted verdicts, evidence of bias survives, and a constituency exists for a second look. Seligman illustrates the profound effects such acts of clemency have on the living and ends with a siren call for a reexamination of such cases on the national level by the Department of Justice, which officially refuses to consider them.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the history of racial injustice in America and the ongoing struggle for justice and equality. It sheds light on the devastating consequences of prejudice and bias in the judicial system and highlights the need for reform and reconciliation. A Second Reckoning is a powerful testament to the resilience and perseverance of the human spirit in the face of adversity and a call to action for all who believe in the power of justice and the importance of amends for past wrongs.

Dimension: 228 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781640124653