Racial discrimination continues to pervade every level of the criminal legal and law enforcement system today.
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John —
Today marks one year since Ahmaud Arbery was killed while jogging in Georgia by former law enforcement officer Gregory McMichael and his son Travis. In the wake of Ahmaud’s death, people marched for justice and accountability, echoing the calls of protesters almost exactly nine years earlier following the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot in the chest by George Zimmerman as he walked home from a nearby convenience store in Florida.
Ahmaud and Trayvon were deemed guilty by their neighbors based on the color of their skin. Seventy-four days went by before the McMichaels were arrested for Ahmaud’s shooting — which was caught on camera. And George Zimmerman was not arrested until several months after Trayvon's death — for which he was ultimately acquitted. These tragic killings sparked protests and reminded people across the world that race remains an often-deadly proxy for criminality in the U.S. And when civilian vigilantes or police kill innocent Black people, they are rarely held accountable.
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Artist Theo Ponchaveli paints a mural of the likeness of Ahmaud Arbery in Dallas, Friday, May 8, 2020 (Image: AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
These stories are all too common in America today. More than half of death row exonerees are Black and innocent Black people are seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than innocent white people. Many of our clients have experienced racial discrimination — and even violence — leading to their wrongful conviction and incarceration.
Here at the Innocence Project, we’re fully committed to addressing these injustices and building a more equitable system. And part of that is working to fight the racial bias and discrimination that contributes to wrongful conviction of innocent people — from pushing for police accountability to advocating for eyewitness identification best practices.
But we all have a part to play.
So today, please take a moment to read a few key statistics we should all be aware of ([link removed]) , and then share this article with your friends and family. ([link removed])
It’s on all of us to work together to build a more just and equitable system for all.
With gratitude,
— The Innocence Project Team
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