One of Us

Someday, the light will shine like a sun through my skin & they will say, What have you done with your life? & though there are many moments I think I will remember, in the end, I will be proud to say, I was one of us. -Brian Andreas

Dr. Joseph Lowery

God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou who has brought us thus far along the way, thou who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee. Shadowed beneath thy hand may we forever stand -- true to thee, O God, and true to our native land.

We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day. We pray now, O Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant, Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration. He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national and, indeed, the global fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hand, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations. Our faith does not shrink, though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.

For we know that, Lord, you're able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor or the least of these and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.

We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that, yes, we can work together to achieve a more perfect union. And while we have sown the seeds of greed -- the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.

And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.

And as we leave this mountaintop, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.

Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little, angelic Sasha and Malia.

We go now to walk together, children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone, with your hands of power and your heart of love.

Help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid; when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get back, when brown can stick around -- (laughter) -- when yellow will be mellow -- (laughter) -- when the red man can get ahead, man -- (laughter) -- and when white will embrace what is right.

Let all those who do justice and love mercy say amen.AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: Say amen --

AUDIENCE: Amen!

REV. LOWERY: -- and amen.

AUDIENCE: Amen! (Cheers, applause.)

Job Postings- Work for Justice in the South!

Three organizations very near and dear to my heart are currently hiring for a few great positions.

I would love your help in spreading the word. Check these out:

1. The Southern Center for Human Rights is looking for a Lead Community Organizer.

2. Georgians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty needs a Coordinator.

3. The Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana is seeking a Youth Advocate.

With your help, I think we're going to find dynamic people to fill these positions and continue the struggle for justice in the south! Thanks so much for sharing this with people you know who would be a good fit.

Who's afraid of...

My friends are super scary, y'all. Consider this your official warning.

We are so scary that Clayton County felt the need to pass a law this week to make sure we couldn't protest there. You see, about a dozen of us held signs there a month ago asking a doctor not to participate in the execution of Troy Davis, a possibly innocent man on Georgia's death row. It was very scary.

We are so scary that the Department of Corrections turns security cartwheels when we arrive at the prison in Jackson to vigil while the State is killing a human being. As visitors, we are allowed just inside the gate (the prison itself is at least a mile back into the grounds) where we are greeted by one after another corrections officers who will check our IDs, ask which side we are on, and tie green plastic ribbons on our wrists to signify we are opposing the execution.

We then are vetted by the Canine Unit; two guards and two dogs search our cars. They are searching for bombs purportedly brought in by those of us who are there because we believe that killing in all its forms is wrong.

You never know, though our folks have been coming peacefully since 1983 to bear witness to the State's killing of 42 men, we just might decide to something do something crazy. Like maybe we'll get those fancy battery-powered candles instead of our usual match-lit ones. Tremble with fear, dudes.

See for yourselves how scary we were today in this photo by Peggy Attaway:



We marched in a funeral procession through the cold rain to deliver this casket and petitions from over 140,000 people collected by Amnesty International to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. The funeral and casket represents the metaphorical death of justice. Following that, a delegation of clergy led by the Rev., Dr. Raphael Warnock of Ebenezer Baptist Church delivered a letter signed by 100 Georgia clergy and 400 clergy from around the world to the Governor Sonny Perdue's office.

We are so scary that when I was allowed to enter the Twin Towers building to actually deliver the petitions - this is of course after being quizzed by a Capitol police officer with four of his sergeants backing him up about our intentions - I was personally escorted by Parole Board staff. Mind you, this is the same building I eat my lunch in daily between January and April each year. He remained within inches of me the whole time. In my sparkly hat, pink scarf and drenched velvet jacket I must have been particularly scary today.

I passed one Parole Board staffer after another. I think the officers were surprised when various high-up officials at the Parole Board - including the Public Affairs officer and the Director - came out an hugged me. Why shouldn't they? We have worked together amicably for years. Nothing to be afraid of.

But yet my escort remained next to my elbow despite my warm welcome by his bosses. And the Captain of the Capitol police nervously asked me again the same questions about our intentions when I emerged and we approached the Capitol. Looking at the motley crew in plastic ponchos and green umbrellas, I thought to myself, "how strange that we make them so nervous..."

But then the moment came as we stood outside the Capitol, waiting for our Clergy friends to emerge from the Governor's office. I felt my phone vibrate and saw the text from the lawyers: "Troy has a stay from 11th circuit -- it will extend past the warrant period." This means NO execution on Monday!

As we cheered and hugged then sang and prayed it hit me: THIS is why they are afraid of us.

This post is dedicated with love, respect and gratitude to Laura Moye, a very scary person who is celebrating her birthday today.

Sleeping well

No doubt due to the last-minute halt to the killing of Troy Davis, I finally slept well last night. I dreamed about cupcakes and my mother, and when I woke, the sound of the wind and the birds outside my window told me without a doubt that it is finally Fall in Atlanta.

Do this right now.

Do it. Send a text to 90999 with the message "Troy" and a letter will be sent on your behalf to the Georgia Parole Board asking for mercy and clemency on behalf of Troy Davis, a possibly innocent man who has been on Georgia's death row for the last 18 years.

It's that easy to take action right now, thanks to the great work of Laura Moye and all at Amnesty International.

Earlier this evening, 850 people gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to call for justice for Troy Davis- 7 out of the 9 eyewitnesses who helped convict him have since recanted their testimony; there has been abundant evidence of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

Tomorrow morning the Parole Board will consider his case and sometime between now and his scheduled execution date of September 23 they will decide his fate.

One of the most amazing, chilling, beautiful and difficult moments of tonight's rally was while Martina Correia, Troy's amazing beautiful sister, was speaking, Troy called her cell from death row and spoke to all who were gathered about the need to keep fighting for justice, for all people in prison, not just him. He sounded hopeful and calm and spoke eloquently and forcefully.

Troy and Martina's strength amaze me. Despite all that is going on with her brother, Martina still managed to check in with me this week because she was worried about the well-being of someone we mutually care for who is locked up. Here is Martina was speaking about her brother's case at a rally in May:



Please also take a moment to send a letter on behalf of Jack Alderman, who is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday September 16th. The Parole Board denied him clemency without even allowing him a hearing. It is stunning, shocking, that Georgia would give the most severe, ultimate, permanent punishment without even hearing the condemned's appeal. Please send a letter to the Board asking at the very least for a hearing for Mr. Alderman.

Thanks so much, friends.

Lewis Sinclair

I'm so sad to have just gotten the news that our beloved friend, Lewis Sinclair, just passed away. He was 94 years old. He leaves behind his beloved, Mary. I want to write so much about Mary and Lewis and will, but for now, I am comforted by the sound of his voice having a conversation with Mary about growing up as a light-skinned African American in Past Christian, Mississippi.

Here is a lovely picture of Lewis from the 1960s sent by another dear friend, Murphy Davis. Goodbye dear friend, teacher, revolutionary. You will be terribly missed.

Miracle

It is hours after the Georgia Parole Board spared the life of David Crowe who was within hours of being executed. It's nights like tonight that I really feel that there is a God, and that God is present in mine and others' lives. And then I think about how easily we throw around words, words like "miracle", though our knowledge of such pales to that of a man who gets another night of sleep when he already thought he had woken up for the last time.

New Blog: The Cheddar Path

My friend and co-worker Kori just started a blog on social entrepreneurship, progressive philanthropy and community based economics, check it out!:

The Cheddar Path

"We recognize that at this moment in US political history, the nonprofit organizational structure is the primary model used to organize around progressive politics, launch campaigns and respond to attacks. However, that structure has become tied to a model of fund raising that is highly unsustainable. The majority of US nonprofit organizations depend solely on a system of philanthropy in which the wealth of large foundations funds their work. Once those foundations decide to stop funding organizations, as they often do, the organization and its work are stuck dead in the water.

There has been a growing movement for social entrepreneurship, such as for-profit ventures largely independent of philanthropy that aim to solve social challenges, that has picked up momentum in recent years. The Cheddar Path then aims to be a forum that explores this field, as well as progressive philanthropy and community based economics.

There are better ways to feed our movement. Let us discover these pathways together."

"Cultural Antipathy Toward Women" - the Death Penalty and Child Rape

WomensENews has a great article today about yesterday’s US Supreme Court Argument on the death penalty and child rape. This story goes more in detail than others I’ve read about on the “cultural antipathy toward women” and how once children grow up into women, we no longer are concerned about sexual violence.

I was also very pleasantly surprised to see that a friend-of-the-court brief was filed by several survivor –led organizations, including the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault, the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

Their brief discusses how executing child rapists will not only exacerbate the problem of underreporting of child sexual assault, but would also further traumatize the child by the protracted proceedings and ultimately stunt the healing process.

The New Resident of the Krog Street Tunnel

I love taking pictures out the window of my car. Yes, while driving (sorry, Mom!). I love when I'm able to get a solid shot even while the car is moving, and it often not until hours later till I'm able to look and see if I got anything good. This hobby flourishes in Atlanta where we are lucky to have some of the most amazing street artists I've ever seen.

Here is a shot taken tonight out the passenger window in the dark that came out really well featuring a brand new mural on the DeKalb Avenue side of the Krog Street Tunnel.


I don't know whose idea it was to put Bob up, but I can't think of a better addition to the many wonderful pieces in the Krog Tunnel.

And on the topic of Bob Marley, check out Andisheh Nouraee's column about Zimbabwe. He mentions in it that Zimbabwe inaugurated its nationhood with a Bob Marley concert. If you've never seen this footage, its worth a watch.




As always, Bob sang of difficult truths, foreshadowing:

So soon we’ll find out who is the real revolutionaries
And I don’t want my people to be tricked by mercenaries.

A Great One from the US Supremes

On December 4, 2007, I had the great privilege of traveling to Washington DC to witness my wonderful colleague and mentor, Steve Bright, brilliantly argue a death penalty case to the US Supreme Court.

Steve was representing Allen Snyder, an African American man who was sentenced to death by an all-white jury in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana in August 1996.

I marveled and choked back tears as Steve made friends of usual enemies, Justices Scalia and Alito. It was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I’m happy to share that this morning the US Supreme Court came back with a 7-2 decision in Mr. Snyder’s favor!

Getting the Supreme Court to reverse a death sentence is reason enough to jump up and down in the halls, but not only did Steve get Kennedy, but he got both Alito and Roberts as well. What’s more, Alito’s decision is written in such a way that it will be widely applicable to future cases. Alito’s decision followed Steve’s oral argument step by step and found that the prosecutor’s justification for striking Mr. Brooks from the jury were ‘highly speculative’ and ‘suspicious’.”

The New York Times quotes Steve commenting on the ruling that

“the court has resoundingly told judges and prosecutors throughout the country that the practice of striking people from jury service based on their race must cease.”

“This decision tells trial judges not to allow prosecutors to strike most or all people of one race in selecting juries,” Mr. Bright said. “And it tells prosecutors that if they discriminate in selecting juries, any conviction they get may be reversed on appeal.”

Nina Totenberg with NPR’s All Things Considered did a pretty great piece that can be listened to here.

I am so grateful to my coworkers for their dedication to fighting the death penalty, and for making this wonderful victory possible. I am so proud, so honored to be part of this great work.

Get on the Carnival!

The Georgia Blog Carnival comes out every two weeks and features highlights from Georgia blogging. Two of the top issues are Genarlow Wilson and the Brian Nichols trial, both very relevant to my work. My piece on Dr. Lowery is featured in the Brian Nichols section.

Grateful for Dr. Joseph Lowery

Dr. Joseph Lowery is truly an amazing man. His leadership in the human and civil rights movement in the South began in the early 1950s in Mobile, Alabama when he helped lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott after Rosa Parks' arrest. He was great close friends with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and together they founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. At a quite respectable 86, he still spends his days struggling for justice and today's unpopular issues.

I just returned from a press conference that we put on with Dr. Lowery and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda about the indigent defense crisis and death penalty in Georgia. Dr. Lowery was joined by civil and human rights leaders in calling for the Fulton District Attorney to accept a plea to Life without the Possibility of Parole in the Brian Nichols case.

No one else has had the courage to step up and say these things until now in this notorious Atlanta case of the man who is to be tried for escaping from police custody and killing four people, including a judge on March 11, 2005. This case has become a nightmare in Georgia, with legislators threatening to defund the whole indigent defense system because they think Nichols’ defense is costing too much.

Dr. Lowery was fantastic. I shouldn’t expect any less; he could read my grocery list out loud and make it sound like justice. He spoke about how the civil rights movement has been consistent for decades in its response to the horrible murders that have traumatized their communities including include the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the murder of Dr. King’s mother, the serial killings of the Atlanta Children, and the Olympic Bombing. He declared that a sentence of Life without the Possibility of Parole was acceptable for Dr. King’s killer, Wayne Williams and Eric Rudolph and it is also appropriate for Brian Nichols.

While he did not call Paul Howard out by name, he did say it was time for the prosecution to end the “tenure, turmoil and trauma” and accept defense’s offer of a plea to Life without the Possibility of Parole.

It was clear from the beginning that this would not be one of the most popular or supported press conferences held by Dr. Lowery. Despite the fact that the meeting room held about 60 people and was standing room only, when we started assembling for the press conference Dr. Lowery had to practically drag people up there to stand with him while he made his statement. He kept asking the people gathered “Y’all are gonna let me take this heat alone?”

People in the audience were palpably hesitant to move to the front. There were a handful of solid, brave folks who joined him from the start including Rainbow/PUSH, SCLC, NAACP State Conference and a couple legislators. I also stood with them. By then end of the conference we had at least 15 more people (which is about all that could fit in the small space we were in) and heads were nodding throughout the audience. A small miracle, but in this hostile, hopeless climate, a miracle nonetheless.

A funny thing that happened was as I was walking to join the group Dr. Lowery made a joke about how it was no longer a panel of esteemed black men but that they were adding “a woman of color, a Latina woman…” then trailed off stumbling a bit because he was unable to identify my ethnicity. He looked at me and said, “What is your ethnic background dear?” to which I replied, “I’m an Arab, sir.” He then exclaimed “Well we have esteemed black men and the PLO up here today!” And I knew he meant it in the most positive and Palestine solidarity way – that was a first!

At the end of the event as I was saying my thank you’s to the panel and I came to Dr. Lowery. He leaned in close to me and asked

“Are you Palestinian, dear?”
“No sir, my father is Iraqi.”

He shook his head and took my hands in his hands and said

“I am so, so sorry for what we have done to your loved ones and your beautiful country. My heart is broken for the Iraqi people.”
“Thank you so much, sir. My heart is broken too.”
“I am so, so sorry for what we have done. My heart is broken.”
"Thank you."

I’m so grateful for this amazing man.

'like PLO I don't surrendo' - M.I.A.'s Atlanta Halloween show

If Bjork is a panda, M.I.A. is an iguana. Or komodo dragon. Or a gila monster or some kind of crazy looking, beautiful exotic lizard that moves awkwardly but with more grace than you can fathom with their bony adorable body.

Halloween night at Center Stage in Atlanta was alive. From before it even began, the space was filled with rainbows of costumes, underwear over fishnets, and more wigs and leg warmers than you’d find in Cyndi Lauper’s closet circa 1983. Girls were dancing on top of speakers; friends were greeting each other with hugs that spun each other around. (What an amazing contrast to the previous night’s snooze of a crowd. I'm just sayin'.)

The show opened up with video footage of Japanese nihilist Kouichi Touyama in his bout for Governor of Tokyo- a perfect way to kick off the show of the daughter of a Tamil activist-turned militant. This revolutionary spirit carried through the entire evening, no doubt due in some part to her extensive travels in India, Trinidad, Liberia, Jamaica, Australia, and Japan while she was writing her new album Kala.

That’s the best word: revolutionary. MIA is revolutionary. She is one of, if not the most fierce performer I’ve ever seen. In iridescent white stretch pants and a baggy t-shirt, she, her DJ and the woman who danced and sung back up (so sad I don’t know her name) commanded the stage. The energy flowed from their lips hips fingertips to the crowd infectiously. Eyes remained glued on the small bodies that glided across the stage. Every song was a journey -- sometimes intentional “now we’re going to Africa!” she cried jubilantly as the screen behind her turned to jungle and machine guns. At one point she invited all people wearing costumes to join her on stage for a dance party (pictures on this are included in the slideshow- click on the image to go to a larger size). She perched on the edge of the stage singing and became part of the fan-based MIAnimal that moved with her.

I'm including two videos in this one this time because I just have to share them. I didn’t want the show to end; hell I want to be back there right now. As MIA said in Sunshowers, 'like PLO I don’t surrendo' and she didn’t and she doesn’t and I can’t emphasize enough that if you have a chance to see this lovely British Sri Lankan imp in real life, go go GO!

And if you were there, tell me how much she blew your ass away. Please. Take me back there immediately.

Performing Pull Up the People: you no like the people they no like you, then they go set it off with a big boom, every gun in a battle is a son and daughter too, why you wanna talk about who done who? what you wanna talk about?

Performing Bucky Done Gun. Despite the arm constantly blocking my camera, the crowd footage on this one makes it all worthwhile. Everyone loved her!

...joy, inspiration, and love in abundant measure

A wise & wonderful piece from one of our favorite lawyers, Bill Quigley, who has not only represented scores of people who act with conscience and disobedience in opposition to the School of the Americas but also has put his shoulder to the wheel in nearly every one of the many, many battles for justice ongoing in post-Katrina New Orleans.

A Letter to Law Students Interested in Social Justice

It's such a rich piece, but the part that stands out to me on this cool, early morning is:

Finally, remember that we cannot give what we do not have. If we do not love ourselves, we will be hard pressed to love others. If we are not just with ourselves, we will find it very difficult to look for justice with others. In order to become and reamin a social justice advocate, you must live a healthy life. Take care of yourself as well as others. Invest in yourself as well as in others. No one can build a house of justice on a foundation of injustice. Love yourself and be just with yourself and do the same with others. As you become a social justice advocate, you will experience joy, inspiration and love in abundant measure.