Elaine Race Riot - The Aftermath

The Aftermath

The Supreme Court's decision opened up an era in which the Supreme Court gave closer scrutiny to the criminal justice given to black defendants in the segregated South, at least in well-publicized cases. They reviewed the case of Scottsboro boys a decade later. The victory gave the NAACP greater credibility as the champion of African Americans' rights. Walter F. White's risk-taking participation and report helped propel his career. He later became executive secretary of the NAACP.

In recent years, researchers have begun to investigate the riot in Elaine, Arkansas, more thoroughly, as well as the Tulsa Race Riot in Oklahoma in 1921. In early 2000 a conference on the Elaine Riot was held at the Delta Cultural Center in the county seat of Helena, Arkansas.