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"Scenic Roots" offers conversations that matter in the heart of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.From the mountains to the river, our conversations are rooted deep within every corner of our community - reflecting who we are, who we were and who we can become.We engage with the news that affects our community, behind and beyond the headlines. We build bridges that span from creators and innovators to storytellers and the outdoors. We focus on our challenges as many communities in one - as we celebrate what inspires us. We resonate with countless voices - in words and spaces, sounds and songs.We are "Scenic Roots."Ray Bassett hosts and produces "Scenic Roots" at WUTC.

A Film In Progress On The KKK Shooting in 1980 Chattanooga

WUTC

Published February 7, 2022 at 3:23 PM EST

“The Civil Case” is a documentary now in production that recalls a violent episode in Chattanooga’s past - and its legal impact to this day.

Here’s the case: In April 1980, five Black women were injured in a shooting spree by three members of the Ku Klux Klan on Ninth Street - now Martin Luther King Boulevard - in downtown Chattanooga.

The women survived.

The Klan members were charged with attempted murder. An all-white jury acquitted two of the men - and sentenced the third to nine months in prison and a fine. He served only three months.

Days of rioting followed the verdict.

Then, the women filed a civil lawsuit in Federal court, represented by civil rights attorney Randolph McLaughlin.

This time, they won a key victory against the Klan - and set a legal precedent for today’s court battles on racial violence.

John Beder is director and producer of “The Civil Case.”

Author and historian Rita Lorraine Hubbard has provided research for the documentary.