Ode to Our Viola

[pamela]

6. I'm working on a screenplay about Viola Liuzzo

I'm focusing on the slut-shaming aspect. I feel her story is very timely. She was never really given the recognition she deserved because the attempts (by the Klan AND the FBI) to ruin her reputation took hold and stuck.

Here's a disgusting example: At the first trial of her murderers, the defense told the jury that the medical examiner found a quart of sperm in her vagina during the autopsy. (There was no sign of sexual activity in her autopsy but the prosecution never challenged this.)This type of thing was a typical Klan tactic at the time to smear women involved in the Civil Rights movement as sluts who were coming to the South to screw "negroes."