The Writ Writer Project: Rathbun Audio Productions
Our goal is to
produce an audio Documentary about the life of Scipio Africanus Jones. This will join our companion piece, “The
Writ Writer” Docudrama, which profiles his most influential Court case, Moore vs. Dempsey.
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The
year was 1919. The place: Phillips County, Arkansas.
What became a
watershed moment in U.S. history, this is the story of attorney SCIPIO AFRICANUS JONES, and
one man’s gallant, courageous and successful effort to fight murder convictions
brought against nearly 100 black sharecroppers, 12 of whom were sentenced to die
in the electric chair. (For details, see below: “A Brief Background”)
Having
accomplished such an amazing feat, WHY
IS IT THAT SO FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER HEARD OF HIM? This is a story that begs
to be told. It is timely. It’s long overdue. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN CORRECT THIS.
What We Wish to Accomplish
We all need heroes
– those who inspire us to have a vision of something greater than ourselves.
This man’s name should be shouted from the rooftops. S.A. Jones holds a place
of distinction in U.S. history. His legal accomplishments established a
framework for the Court’s subsequent rulings on due process,
and played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. His court
actions of nearly 100-years ago are frequently cited and benefit all citizens
to this day.
The purpose of
this project is to research and produce an audio
documentary on the life of Scipio Africanus Jones – a person who had not
only a brilliant mind, but also a beautiful spirit.
The resulting
professionally mastered CD will compliment our soon to be enhanced docudrama.
Guy Rathbun Audio Productions will then make these CDs available for
distribution to educational institutions, libraries, public radio stations and
individuals.
Inspired by Guy’s
passion, and what he tells us about this profound bit of history, the value of
doing further research and producing an audio documentary has captured the imagination
of those who readily became the Crew. We
hope you will find this project worthy of your support. Thank You.
A Message from the Producer, Guy Rathbun
What began as a
work on a docudrama about the Court cases stemming from the Elaine Massacre, grew to admiration for S.A. Jones
himself; hence, the desire to expand our project to include a documentary, illuminating this truly
stellar individual. What is it that draws me to this man? Scipio is someone we
could all use as a role model. Ethical, courageous, humble, respectful,
determined – few people so embody those qualities, as does he.
In my 40-years of
audio production, I don’t believe that I have ever felt a deeper passion for
any subject. I want this project to work. The research and resulting
documentary are extremely important to me, not for self-recognition, but for a
better understanding of the ways in which a notable human being can touch the
lives of others, even after his life has ended.
Part 1: The Docudrama “The Writ Writer”
(85% complete)
The radio drama
version of “The Writ Writer,” by Michael Murphy, was produced by Guy Rathbun
Audio Productions approximately 3-years ago, and was aired on the local public
radio station. Though everyone involved in the original recording felt it to be
a meaningful experience, it had been looked upon as a one-time project. But,
what had started out as a fascination with the little known attorney, soon
turned into a true obsession. As producer Rathbun said, “I just couldn’t let
Scipio go.” After reading more history about S.A. Jones, the dream of producing
an accompanying audio documentary was born.
Because the
original objective to produce the radio drama as a one-time airing has changed,
there is need to create a revised version. At 2½ hours in length, it is
necessary to make it more compact, as well as add additional sound effects and
layering. This will entail approximately 150-hours of post-production work,
enabling us to tighten the script, as well as to create a fully enhanced stereo
product.
Part II: The Documentary (the new part)
The documentary
will include the period covered in the docudrama, and will provide a more in
depth portrait of Scipio. In addition, we wish to offer a historical
perspective regarding the importance of Moore
vs. Dempsey in today’s
world, which demonstrates a direct link to the Civil Rights Movement 40-years
later, as well as legal due process as it exists today.
The immediate
objective is to travel to the story’s source: the state of Arkansas; and,
secondarily, to Washington D.C., where Guy will use his widely respected skills
to conduct recorded interviews with: