The mood at the courthouse in Concord, North Carolina was tense. Ronnie Long, 20, a Black cement mason, was on trial for the rape of Sarah Bost, 54, a wealthy, white widow. All summer, protesters had demonstrated against Long's arrest, accusing police of racial bias. Now, hundreds were gathered outside for the verdict in a case that had torn the community apart. Inside, tensions were even higher. Virtually every spectator on the defense's side was Black; everyone on the prosecution's side, and all twelve jurors, were white. When Long was declared guilty, the audience erupted, and police rushed to clear the courtroom. That was in October 1976. This past August, Long was exonerated and walked out of prison a free man. He'd been locked up for forty-four years, placing him third on the list of American prisoners who've served the longest sentences for crimes they did not commit.
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