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Black History Year

His Case Proved The Dangers Of False ‘Scientific’ Evidence

Black History Year

PushBlack

History, Society & Culture

4.32.1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 July 2024

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The fact was this: He didn’t have any hair on his head. But “science” proved his hair matched the murderer’s, so they locked him up, stealing decades of his life. And he isn’t the only one. _____________ 2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work. The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer." To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

The fact was this. He didn't have any hair on his head. But science proved his hair matched the murderers so they locked him up stealing decades of his life and he isn't the only one.

0:19.2

This is two minute black history, What you didn't years in prison.

0:42.9

The state of North Carolina finally caught up to what he already knew.

0:47.9

He didn't murder anyone.

0:50.2

Bloody fingerprints, shoe marks, and other evidence didn't match him.

0:55.2

So they found another way.

0:57.0

Whoever committed the murder had left head and pubic hair behind.

1:01.6

Sledge was bald, but investigators found microscopic

1:05.7

similarities in the pubic hair, which, since looking closely at two strands of

1:11.3

hair doesn't involve DNA testing should have meant

1:15.0

nothing because hair analysis is actually pseudoscience and visual

1:21.1

assumption. DNA testing only emerged in the 1980s,

1:25.7

and the decades prior, hair analysis held false forensic power.

1:30.8

It was science. But much like the criminal legal system itself it had been developed by human beings with biases.

1:39.0

After revisiting 268 out of thousands of hair analysis cases, the FBI and Justice

1:46.7

Department found that 95% were flawed.

1:51.7

Bightmarks, arson investigation, fingerprint analysis, and false positive drug tests have also been used to punish people for crimes they didn't commit.

2:02.0

One quarter of 3,438 exonerations from the National

2:07.6

Registry involved false or misleading forensic evidence.

2:13.0

A report stated that most of the exoneries who had been convicted on hair-related evidence were black. The We're told these systems have legitimacy and authority, but even fact can be manipulated by anti-Black Bieth.

2:45.0

In an abolitionist future, we need to build something new.

2:50.0

In order to move towards the future, you've got to look to the past.

...

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