Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Abergan.

This day August 16th, 1975, Joanne Little, age 21, is acquitted of second-degree murder.

This was a monumental decision in many ways as Joanne Little had killed a man a man who was

attempting to rape her. We should say that this incident took place in jail.

Little was a prisoner, her assaultor was a prison guard. Those details certainly play into the case, but it's the verdict, this acquittal, that really left a legacy because Little was the first woman to be acquitted of murder committed in self-defense against sexual assault.

So here to discuss the case and legacy of the Joanne Little case are as always

Nicole Hammer of Vanderbilt and Kelly Carter Jackson of

Wosley hello there. Hello Jody. Hey there. Kelly we're saying you teach

Joanne Little in one of your classes in what in what context? So I teach a course called from

from Mumbet to Michelle Obama it's the history of black women in America and one of

the weeks we talk about sexual assault and we read this really good book by Danielle McGuire

it's called at the dark end of the street black women rape resistance and a new history

of the civil rights movement from Rosa Parks to the rise of black power.

It's a really long title.

But I really, it's a really good one.

It's such a powerful book in it.

She talks about Reisey Taylor, who some of our listeners

might be familiar with.

She talks about Rosa Parks.

But she has a whole chapter on Joanne Little,

and it's so good because she gives just all of the history and the texture of this

...