Donald L Hollowell was an African American civil rights attorney and an unsung hero of the civil rights movement. During his early years as an attorney, Hollowell was assigned to defend an African American by the name of Willie Nash who was accused of murdering a white woman’s boyfriend and then raping her. Mr. Nash had preferred a white attorney which makes sense because during this time of segregation what white person would take a black attorney seriously? The trial went on with the “evidence” that was provided against Mr. Nash such as the murder weapon, Nash’s confession, and a black witness who says Nash was at the murder scene. The prosecution even waved the woman’s underwear in front of the entirely white jury. The evidence was so blatantly biased but no one cared because this was a white woman accusing a black man of murder and rape. Thankfully his attorney, Mr. Hollowell, was able to get a mistrial because the prosecutor couldn’t remember the black witness’s name and refers to him as “that fat n****r.” When that was said Mr. Hollowell jumped up and said “a negro is entitled to respect as any other person!” The judge agreed and declared a mistrial. During the 2 months it took to set up the retrial Mr. Hollowell was able to better prepare his defense. During the retrial he asks the head of the crime lab if he ever found and blood on the alleged murder weapon which the head of the crime lab replies no he did not. The police who were put on the stand had multiple conflicting stories. Mr. Hollowell even puts the defendant on the stand to ask him about his confession. Nash tells everyone that the confession was beaten out of him. When Mr. Hollowell goes to question the alleged victim he finds out that she had a second boyfriend who left town after the murder of her first boyfriend. Finally, when looking at the evidence of rape none could be found anywhere on the alleged victim’s body. Because of all this evidence that Mr. Hollowell presents in Nash’s defense the court rules in favor of the defendant and Nash goes free.
Another case that Mr. Hollowell worked on was the case of Martin Luther King, Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the prominent leaders of the civil rights movement was arrested because he was on probation for not switching his drivers license from Alabama to Georgia in the 90 days provided. When he was a part of a sit in police arrested him saying it violated his probation and sentenced him 12 months to a chain gang. Martin Luther King, Jr. calls Mr. Hollowell to help him fight this prison sentence. When Mr. Hollowell got to the jail to try and get him released he was told that Martin Luther King, Jr. was moved 300 miles to the state prison in Reidsville, Georgia which is notoriously bad. Mr. Hollowell held a press conference and was able to get Martin Luther King, Jr. released shortly after. After he was released, Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to the press during which a famous photo was taken of the moment and Mr. Donald L Hollowell can be seen off to the side quietly in the background.
These stories that Malcom Gladwell detail in this podcast are very important to bring up and revisit for so many different reasons. It makes sense that nowadays African Americans feel like the justice system is rigged against them because there are these cases and so many others as evidence to prove it. Unfortunately, not so many African Americans were as lucky as Nash to have an attorney like Mr. Hollowell that were able to set them free. Without Mr. Hollowell the civil rights movement might not have had Martin Luther King, Jr. to lead it and may have not have been as successful which is terrifying to think about. People like Mr. Hollowell were the backbone of the civil rights movement and need even more recognition for their roles in it.
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