The sad story of ruby mccollum persephone magazine. The documentary film about the ruby mccollum story. With anita davenport, denise durette, reggie brooks, george jacobsen. She also wrote more than 50 short stories, plays, and essays.
Ruby mccollum was a wealthy africanamerican woman whose story unfolded before the countrys eyes in 1952 for the murder of dr. On a sunday morning, august 3, 1952, ruby mccollum, who was the richest africanamerican woman in suwannee county and had grown up in marion county, walked into the office of sainted white physician dr. Johnsons documentary extends an implicit promise in the subtitle, the untold story of ruby mccollum, which certainly intrigues followers of this famous 1952 north florida murder case in which a wealthy colored woman, ruby mccollum, murdered her white paramour, dr. A timetravel gene is expressed in the clan inherited, but not every member of the family is blessed with. Psychiatrists report woman slayer insane, daytona beach morning journal, september 24, 1954.
Produced by the art institute of jacksonville and direc. Adams for years and was pregnant with his second child at the time of his murder. Clifford adams the 1952 fatal shooting of a prominent white doctor by a wealthy black woman in rural north florida still puzzles many to this day. The judge restricted her testimony, but she did testify as to their. Join facebook to connect with ruby mccollum and others you may know. Ruby mccollum is the female protagonist that would satisfy birth of a nation critics. A reserve in his first two years, he became a fulltime starter for the trail blazers in his third season after making the decision to move to shooting guard. James haskins, judes life would take a very different course than one she ever imagined. Mccollum home fines in the thousands bryant thigpen. Ruby mccollister is an actress and composer, known for zhe zhe 20, irene in time 2009 and. Mar 17, 2018 ruby ellen mcmullan burrow, age 100, passed away on march 17, 2018 at shands hospital in gainesville florida after bearing a one month burden of the effects of a stroke incurred on february 16, along with a simultaneous rapid increase of congestive heart failure.
Nov 20, 2014 oh, that ruby mccollum girls, i thought i knew all the cases, but the episode on tuesday of a crime to remember, entitled the shot doctor, took me by surprise. She portrayed racial struggles in the early1900s american south and published research on hoodoo. In 1952, mccollum, a mother of four, was convicted of firstdegree murder and sentenced to the electric chair for the murder of white senator and dr. Shouts out the san fernando valley chapters of alpha kappa alpha sorority, inc. She parked, walked in the colored entrance and through. Oh, that ruby mccollum girls, i thought i knew all the cases, but the episode on tuesday of a crime to remember, entitled the shot doctor, took me by surprise. The curse of the black pearl 2003 and metal gear solid v. On august 3, 1952, african american housewife ruby mccollum drove to the office of dr. Contains an abridged copy of the transcripts of the trial. The ruby mccollum case begins african american registry. The strange case of ruby mccollum atlanta daily world. In a time of segregation and secrets in the jim crow south, figuring out who is responsible may not be as easy as. The true story of ruby mccollum and the trial that shook the foundations of the segregationist south.
New documentary revisits live oak 50s shooting by ruby mccollum. You have probably never heard of ruby mccollum but you should have. Mar 12, 2015 i had the pleasure of attending a womens history month screening of the documentary you belong to me. Information on the ruby mccollum story, including current news.
A search inside the book option furnishes readers an. Leroy adams, beloved white physician in the segregated small town of live oak, florida. Clifford leroy adams and shot him four times with a revolver. The documentary you belong to me is the latest exploration into the decadesold case that centered on one particular question. It is produced by the art institute at jacksonville, florida and is directed by ramona ramdeen, who interviews dr. Much of her other testimony was prevented by objections from. The arduous, long, significant journey to find and tell the truth about ruby mccollum and create the documentary you belong to me began in 2001. Posted by penny dickerson on january 15, 2018 in bold and bodacious blogs, creative writing, enc 1102, journalism, penny posts there are few historical treasures unearthed by mankind that rival the intrigue conjured by the discovery of king tuts tomb or pure diamonds excavated from. When this black woman shot a white doctor in the 1950s, an. Ruby mccollum book schneider soon moved to new york city to study at the prestigious american academy of dramatic arts. Adams had been shot three times in the back and once in the arm.
Ruby mccollum was the richest black woman in live oak, florida, in the 1940s. Everyone is certain that gwens cousin charlotte has the gene. Saphirblau, followed in 2016 by emerald green german. Ruby put whites on notice that maybe blacks werent going to stand for this any more. She then drove to the office of clifford leroy adams, a prominent white doctor and state senatorelect. It was alleged that ruby was being sexually abused by dr. Leroy adams a white doctor and member of the state senate in florida.
This story cries out to be made today as a film, because the role of rubywhich i could see viola davis doingis oscar gold for any actress who takes it on. Jun 27, 2017 on the quiet sunday morning of august 3, 1952, ruby mccollum, the richest black woman in the town of live oak, florida, put two of her children in the backseat of her blue chrysler. She parked, walked in the colored entrance and through the office waiting room. The sad story of ruby mccollum posted by crystal coleman on august 3, 1952, ruby mccollum walked into the colored waiting room of dr. The truecrime story that shook the foundations of the segregationist south. This compelling and compassionate film follows pulitzer prize nominee claudia johnsons nineteenyear quest to penetrate the mysterious silence surrounding the story of ruby mccollum. Its a privilege to shed new light on the story of ruby mccollum in my first featurelength film. Ruby mccollum, born ruby jackson august 31, 1909 may 23, 1992, was a wealthy married africanamerican woman in florida known for killing a prominent caucasian doctor in 1952 who had been elected to the state senate.
Ruby mccollum became infamous in 1952 when she was convicted of. A sequel was produced in 2014 under the title sapphire blue german. The judge restricted her testimony, but she did testify as to their sexual relationship and his paternity of her child. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the. Jun 04, 2019 ruby mccollum was a wealthy africanamerican woman whose story unfolded before the countrys eyes in 1952 for the murder of dr. In 1952, ruby mccollum shot and killed her white lover, prominent doctor and state senator leroy adams, in cold blood. The movie, which stars matt lanter and burt reynolds, is set in live oak during the early 1950s and is based on a bestselling book ruby mccollum. I had the pleasure of attending a womens history month screening of the documentary you belong to me. This is the second edition, with full color images and some minor changes in the authors preface.
Amidst numerous other critiques of nate parkers birth of a nation 2016 film was that once again, even in the fight for justice, black women are seen on the sidelines, left. Huies book on the ruby mccollum case is the landmark chronicle of the famous florida murder that led to sentencing ruby mccollum to the electric chair for killing her white, senatorelect lover. Ruby ellen mcmullan burrow, age 100, passed away on march 17, 2018 at shands hospital in gainesville florida after bearing a one month burden of the effects of a stroke incurred on february 16, along with a simultaneous rapid increase of congestive heart failure. Sex, race and murder in the south the ruby mccollum story recommended for you. The most popular of her four novels is their eyes were watching god, published in 1937. Bobbie anderson rated it it was amazing dec 31, 2014. However, someday gwendolyn suddenly finds herself in london at the end of the 19th century and realizes that it her, who was born a time traveler. Leroy adams murder 831952 live oak, fl ruby mccollum was then declared incompetent to stand trial and sent to the florida state hospital posted on november 18, 2014 by mylifeofcrime dr. Leroy adams, a son of the confederacy, is shot to death in his office, and the woman responsible is ruby mccollum, whose husband sam is the wealthiest africanamerican in all of live oak. Mccollum played college basketball for the lehigh mountain hawks and was named the patriot league player of the year in both 2010 and 2012. Documents relating to the trial of ruby mccollum for the. The movie opens with a young man and woman being chased by a group of hooded men intent. On january 5, 20, mccollum broke his left foot in a game against virginia commonwealth university, ending his season early. Leroy adams, shortly after he was elected to serve in the florida state senate.
After her release, mccollum lived in a rest home in silver springs, florida, funded by a trust set up by author william bradford huie. The judge restricted her testimony, but she did testify as to their sexual relationship and his. Gwendolyn shepherd is a normal 16yearold, but her family holds a secret. Over sixty years ago, a murder rocked live oak, florida, and awakened the nation. Ruby mccollum story recounted by zora neale hurston. New documentary revisits live oak 50s shooting by ruby. On the quiet sunday morning of august 3, 1952, ruby mccollum, the richest black woman in the town of live oak, florida, put two of her children in the backseat of her blue chrysler. What happened to loretta mccollum who is loretta mccollum. Jun 23, 2014 the true story of ruby mccollum and the trial that shook the foundations of the segregationist south. In 1952, ruby mccollum, a prominent black woman, killed a white doctor in florida after suffering years of sexual abuse tied to practices in the jim crow south. Hall of mirrors breaks down the presentist and confirmation biases of the life and trial of ruby mccollum in 3 poignant chapters that are structured in an academic, journalistic fashion and are designed to elucidate the innocence of the protagonist not from the crime itself, but from actual moral wrongdoing. Ruby ellen mcmullan burrow obituary orange city, fl. Early in his career, he formed a band and played drums for the electric harpoons, the opening band for floridas first official love in. There was even a discovery channel special last year.
In 20 i began writing a series of essays based on the concept of the homeplace. He is known for his work on pirates of the caribbean. He was selected by portland with the tenth overall pick in the 20 nba draft. Leroy adams, a prominent white doctor and state senatorelect. This film is based on zora hurston and the strange case of ruby mccollum, which is scheduled to be released in kindle fire format in september, 2014. Ruby was an extraordinary woman welleducated, a devoted mother of four, wife of numbers racketeer bolita sam mccollum, and the wealthiest africanamerican woman in the small town of live oak, florida, where i lived for twentytwo years, the majority spent. How i tricked my brain to like doing hard things dopamine detox duration. Sep 20, 2016 the silencing of ruby mccollum refutes the carefully constructed public memory of one of the most famousand underexaminedbiracial murders in american history. Sex, race and murder on the suwannee river in the 50s.
1414 379 620 1172 1281 1339 34 1368 1277 289 1233 1344 410 648 1363 154 755 860 1012 1390 991 295 1352 545 1535 849 178 484 167 1456 315 566 1124 358 1313 649 266 1176 292 373