Press release from People of Faith Against the Death Penalty:
Asheville Events on 3rd Anniversary
of Troy Davis’ ExecutionPeople of Faith Against the Death Penalty is grateful to be able to co-sponsor Community Conversations to Commemorate the 3rd Anniversary of Troy Davis’ Execution with “I Am Troy Davis” author Jen Marlowe and Troy’s sister Kimberly Davis. Troy Davis was executed by the State of Georgia on September 21, 2011 despite significant evidence of his innocence and a worldwide outcry against his execution.
Monday, Sept. 22, 7 pm
Hosted by Land of the Sky United Church of Christ at Kenilworth Presbyterian Church (123 Kenilworth Rd)
Program to include readings from the book and music by David LaMotte
Followed by a reception and book signing
Child care providedTuesday, Sept. 23, 6 pm
Hosted by Burton Street Community Association
at Burton Street Community Center (134 Burton St)
Supper and Open Mic
Books and t-shirts for sale and signingBoth events are free and open to the public. PFADP, Murder Victims’ Families for Reconciliation and WNC for Death Penalty Repeal are sponsors.
Background info: Troy Davis, an African-American, was convicted in 1991 of the 1989 murder of a white police officer, Mark MacPhail, and was sentenced to death. Leading up to the execution, there were protests in cities across the United States and by Amnesty International, the NAACP and many other organizations. PFADP led an effort which generated calls for clemency from more than 3,500 clergy and PFADP Executive Director Stephen Dear was arrested for civil disobedience at the prison during the execution. World figures, such as Pope Benedict XVI and Jimmy Carter, advocated for clemency. Troy’s messages from death row and the efforts of his family to stop his execution galvanized the death penalty repeal movement in America.
For a short video by Odyssey Networks on the “logic of Jim Crow” that set the context for the execution of Troy Davis click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CkLfvLehVSs
Troy’s sister, Martina Davis-Correia, was particularly active in the anti-death penalty movement and in efforts to demonstrate Tony’s innocence. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and was expected to live only six more months. She continued to fight for Troy and for her own life and died in December 2011, just months after Troy’s execution.
Jen Marlowe is an activist, filmmaker and author. She has completed projects in some of the most troubled areas of the world: Gaza, Bahrain and Darfur. In gathering information for I Am Troy Davis, Jen talked with Troy by phone and exchanged letters. She interviewed Martina extensively. She got to know the Davis family and was present for some of the events in 2011. Martina is named as a co-author and Troy as a contributor, even though the book was not finished until after both their deaths.
For more detailed information, visit these websites:
The book: I Am Troy Davis
http://www.haymarketbooks.org/pb/I-Am-Troy-DavisJen Marlowe’s website:
http://donkeysaddle.orgOn Troy Davis:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Davis
http://troyanthonydavis.org (a site begun and maintained by the Davis family)
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