In the 1960s, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was a top contender f…
In the 1960s, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter was a top contender for the middleweight boxing championship. In 1966, however, he and a friend were arrested for shooting to death three white people in a tavern. Though he maintained his innocence, Carter was convicted of the crime by an all-white jury and imprisoned. In 1974, he published his autobiography, claiming that he was a falsely accused victim of racism. In 1975, his story inspired singer/songwriter Bob Dylan to write a song about the injustice of the case. This song, entitled “Hurricane,” elevated Carter to the status of a folk hero. At about the same time, witnesses who helped convict Carter recanted their testimony. In 1976, Carter was granted a new trial and released for six months. However, he was convicted a second time and sent back to prison, where he spent another nine years. During that time, a group of Canadians worked to free him, and in 1985, a federal judge affirmed Carter’s charge of racism and released him.