Rubin Carter

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Rubin Carter

Rubin Carter: Boxer and Civil Rights Symbol

Rubin Carter, born on May 6, 1937, in Clifton, New Jersey, rose to fame as a professional boxer before becoming a symbol of injustice after being wrongfully convicted of a triple murder. At the peak of his boxing career in 1966, Carter was twice convicted of the crime and spent nearly two decades in prison before his release in 1985, when a federal judge overturned his convictions. His case, a major cause célèbre, attracted the attention of civil rights leaders, politicians, and entertainers. Carter’s life inspired Bob Dylan’s 1975 song “Hurricane” and the 1999 film The Hurricane, where Denzel Washington portrayed him.

Carter grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, and encountered legal trouble early in life. At age 12, he was sent to the Jamesburg State Home for Boys after stabbing a man with a Boy Scout knife. Carter claimed the man was attempting to molest a friend. After escaping before completing his sentence, he joined the U.S. Army in 1954, where he trained as a boxer and won two European light-welterweight championships. Returning to Paterson in 1956, Carter was arrested and forced to serve the remainder of his sentence in a reformatory.

Rise to Boxing Fame

In 1957, Carter was arrested again, this time for purse snatching, leading to a four-year stint in Trenton State Prison. Upon his release, Carter focused on boxing, turning professional in 1961. With powerful fists and an aggressive style, he quickly earned the nickname “Hurricane.” His early success included a four-fight winning streak and a notable first-round knockout of welterweight champion Emile Griffith in 1963.

Although Carter lost his only world title shot in 1964 to reigning champion Joey Giardello, he remained one of the top contenders in the middleweight division. His prominence as a Black athlete in Paterson, coupled with his outspoken criticism of police occupations in Black neighborhoods, placed him at odds with local law enforcement, contributing to the tensions that surrounded his eventual legal battles.

Arrest and Conviction for Triple Homicide

In October 1966, while training for a world middleweight title fight against champion Dick Tiger, Rubin Carter was arrested for the June 17 triple homicide at the Lafayette Bar & Grill in Paterson, New Jersey. Carter and John Artis had initially been detained the night of the murders based on an eyewitness description of “two Negroes in a white car.” However, they were cleared by a grand jury after the surviving victim failed to identify them as the gunmen. Months later, the state produced two new eyewitnesses, Alfred Bello and Arthur D. Bradley, who positively identified Carter and Artis. Despite limited physical evidence, an unclear motive, and the questionable credibility of these witnesses—who were later revealed to have received incentives for their testimony—Carter and Artis were convicted on June 29, 1967. Both men were sentenced to three life terms in prison.

Life in Prison and Advocacy

While incarcerated at Trenton and Rahway State Prisons, Carter consistently proclaimed his innocence. Defying prison authorities by refusing to wear inmate uniforms, he lived in isolation and dedicated himself to study. In 1974, he published his autobiography, The 16th Round: From Number 1 Contender to Number 45472, which garnered significant attention.

Carter’s wrongful conviction drew the support of numerous prominent figures, including Bob Dylan, who wrote the song “Hurricane” in Carter’s honor, and Muhammad Ali, who became a vocal advocate for his release. Despite the growing support, Carter remained behind bars, a symbol of injustice in the eyes of his supporters.

In 1974, both Bello and Bradley recanted their testimonies, admitting they had lied in exchange for leniency from the authorities. Despite this, Carter and Artis faced a second trial in 1976 and were once again convicted. Artis, who had been offered release in exchange for implicating Carter, refused and remained in prison until his parole in 1981.

Carter’s case continued to garner legal attention, and in 1985, U.S. District Court Judge H. Lee Sarokin overturned the convictions, citing that they were based on “an appeal to racism rather than reason, and concealment rather than disclosure.” After years of appeals, the state formally dismissed the charges in 1988, finally ending Carter’s 22-year-long ordeal.

Life After Release

Upon his release, Carter moved to Toronto, Canada, where he became a leading advocate for the wrongfully convicted. He co-authored Lazarus and the Hurricane and served as director of the Association in Defense of the Wrongfully Convicted. In 1999, Carter’s story was revived with the film The Hurricane, starring Denzel Washington, which was largely based on his autobiography.

Later Years and Legacy

In 2004, Carter founded Innocence International to continue his work for justice. Even as he battled prostate cancer, he remained a strong advocate, notably calling for the exoneration of David McCallum, a man he believed had been wrongfully convicted.

Carter passed away on April 20, 2014, at the age of 76 due to complications from prostate cancer. Reflecting on his life, he once wrote, “To live in a world where truth matters and justice, however late, really happens… that world would be heaven enough for us all.”