Its focus is on the Scottsboro Boys case, which involved nine young African American men falsely accused in 1931 of raping two white women while hoboing aboard a freight train.

[2] She told herself, "One day, when I get older, I'm going to find a place and honor the Scottsboro Boys and put this book on a table and burn a candle in their memory".

[3] Washington first raised the idea of a Scottsboro Boys museum in 2000 as part of a public discussion local officials had about created a historic walking trail in the area.

[3] Local historian Garry Morgan helped by securing the donation of some items and personally buying others at auction or online.

[10] According to Sarah Stahl, a spokesperson for the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the museum not only documents the Scottsboro Boys case but also shows how the trial helped to initiate the modern American civil rights movement.

[8] Part of the museum's collection includes physical objects, such as the metal table used by the Scottsboro Boys in their cell at the Jackson County Jail, a chair used by a member of the jury during the trial, and stamps sold by International Labor Defense to raise money for the defense,[c] photographs of the trial, and original newspaper articles about the case.

[8][d] Alabama State Senator Steve Livingston donated $62,500 to the renovation project, while a GoFundMe account had raised just over $4,700 as of February 25, 2021[update].