John,

While Black History Month is a time to celebrate the progress that’s been made and the tremendous contributions made by Black people and communities to society at large, it’s also important to acknowledge how far we still have to go.

The legacy of slavery, racist Jim Crow laws, and hateful lynchings has translated into modern-day mass incarceration, the disproportionate imprisonment of Black people and the over-policing of Black communities.

In fact, racial discrimination and bias have been ingrained in and persist at every level of our criminal legal system and are at the heart of many wrongful conviction cases. Here at the Innocence Project, with your support, we’re dedicated to challenging the systems that allow unjust practices to thrive.

Today, we put together some articles that we think everyone should read this month and beyond to learn about the impact of racial bias in the criminal legal system.

Rodney Reed in Allan B. Polunsky Unit, West Livingston, Texas in 2015. (Image: Courtesy of Massoud Hayoun/ Al Jazeera)

8 Facts You Should Know About Racial Injustice in the Criminal Legal System

We must take the time to acknowledge both the progress that’s been made towards equality and the work that still needs to be done. These eight statistics show how racial inequality persists in the criminal legal system today and contributes to wrongful conviction — read them here.

A prison guard oversees incarcerated people returning to the dorms from farm work detail at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in Angola, La., on Aug. 18, 2011. The guard rides atop a horse that was broken in and trained by incarcerated people. (Image: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

How the 13th Amendment Kept Slavery Alive: Perspectives From the Prison Where Slavery Never Ended

Many incarcerated people — including our clients — have spent years in prisons working for very little to no pay, while large corporations profited from their labor. Some have called it “modern-day slavery” but many of those who have lived through it will tell you there’s nothing modern about it. Nowhere is the evolution of slavery into mass incarceration more clearly seen than in places like Parchman Farm in Mississippi and Louisiana’s Angola farm, a former slave plantation turned prison. Take some time to read about the history of Angola and the perspectives of three people who were wrongly incarcerated there.

(Image: Patrick Tomasso/Unsplash)

15 Books to Read During Black History Month and Beyond

Last year, we asked the Innocence Project staff to share books that have inspired them to reflect on Black history. They recommended these must-reads, ranging from science fiction to memoirs to history. So if you’re looking for a way to learn more this month, check our recommendations.

Albert Woodfox at Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, Feb. 2021. (Image: William Widmer for the Innocence Project)

Albert Woodfox: A ‘Country Boy’ Turned Black Panther Reflects on Life After 45 Years of Solitary Confinement

On Feb. 19, 2016, Albert Woodfox was freed after 44 years and 10 months of wrongful incarceration — almost all of which he spent in solitary confinement. When a white correctional officer was murdered in 1972, law enforcement immediately targeted Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace as suspects, despite a lack of evidence, because they were Black Panthers. Despite the grave injustice and horrors he endured, Albert emerged an activist whose spirit remains unbroken. Take a moment today to read the Innocence Project’s interview with him.

Malcolm X holds up a paper for the crowd to see during a rally in New York City on Aug. 6, 1963. (Image: AP Photo)

14 Inspiring Quotes About Justice and Equality From Civil Rights Icons Past and Present

This Black History Month, we reflect on the progress that’s been made thanks to Civil Rights icons and activists throughout the years, and recognize that we still have many fights ahead of us. We also celebrate those who helped bring us to where we are now, as well as those who are continuing the fight to end racism and inequality today. People like Malcolm X, who was tragically assassinated in 1965, only to be followed by more tragedy when both Muhammad A. Aziz and Khalil Islam were wrongly convicted of his murder — both of whom were exonerated in Nov. 2021. These powerful quotes from civil rights leaders and present-day activists remind us why we must keep pushing forward — check them out now.

The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, the organization is now an independent nonprofit. Our work is guided by science and grounded in antiracism.
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