LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Former president Bill Clinton, singer Johnny Cash, and civil rights activist Daisy Bates might all come to mind when people are asked to think of famous Arkansas.
But there is one Arkansas icon the world will know about soon: Scipio Jones.
Jones was an attorney who made history for helping free 12 men that were wrongfully sentenced to death following the Elaine Massacre.
Now, all these years later, his story will soon get a Hollywood treatment as audiences will have an opportunity to learn about this prominent Arkansan's life through the big screen.
Sterling K. Brown, most notably known for his role as Randall in "This is Us" is set to star in the upcoming movie "The Defender".
Brown will portray Scipio Africanus Jones, the self-taught Little Rock attorney who defended a dozen men that were wrongfully convicted of murder in the wake of the 1919 Elaine Massacre and then sentenced to death by an all-white jury.
The impact of Jones' actions is still being felt today, with countless Arkansans praising him for his contributions. Executive Director of the Dunbar Historic Neighborhood Association Angel Burt coined Jones as "an American hero."
Nearly four years after their sentencing, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the defendants had not been given a fair trial, which is a right protected by the constitution.
When those same defendants next appeared in the courtroom, they were now represented by Jones and all of the condemned men would later walk free.
The movie is something that many like Burt are looking forward to as it will give people around the country a chance to learn about this pivotal case.
"It's really long overdue, but the beautiful part about it is it's going to give people an opportunity to see what took place. How he was able to come in and really help get these 12 men exonerated of murder," Burt said.
The 1919 Elaine Massacre is the case that made him a national legal figure. But Jones was already well known for his contributions in the Historic Dunbar Neighborhood long before that.
Jones was an integral and well-respected part of a community that's now looking to repay him. The Dunbar/Horace Mann Archives Building Project Foundation is now working on repairing the house that he used to live in -- returning it to its former glory.
"He is such an American icon and he is valued, not only to this community but also to the world. And what better way than to rehabilitate the home that he lived in, especially in his last days," Burt said.
The impact of Jones’ work is very much still felt today.
On Feb. 24, 2022, Congressman French Hill joined several dignitaries and members of the community in a special ceremony to honor the civil rights giant.
Back in 2020, the House passed H.R. 3317, the Scipio Jones Post Office Portrait Act which allowed a portrait of the attorney to be on display inside the Little Rock post office bearing his name.
"Today we honor the legal skill, the persistence, the bravery, and the diplomacy of Scipio Africanus Jones," Hill said during the ceremony.
The portrait of Jones, which was created by Waide Hampton, is an honor that's given to very few people.
According to the U.S. Postal Service, out of more than 31,000 retail offices, fewer than 900 are dedicated in honor of a person. Jones is only one of 14 individuals in the state of Arkansas to have received this distinction.
"It makes me feel so proud. It gives you a very proud feeling. It makes me value the community more that I live in. It gives me the power to want to do more to bring awareness to people like Scipio Jones," Burt said.