MY WINTER VACATION PROMOTING THE MOVIE J͟U͟S͟T͟ ͟M͟E͟R͟C͟Y͟

In January, I had the amazing benefit of participating in the promotion of the movie J͟U͟S͟T͟ ͟M͟E͟R͟C͟Y͟, which is based on the book by the founder of Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson--an attorney who has dedicated his skills to saving people from wrongful capital convictions & juveniles from life imprisonment. In the movie, Michael B. Jordan plays Mr. Stevenson, & Jaimie Foxx plays his client, Walter McMillian, a man wrongfully condemned to death.

For the promotion, organizers built a "greenhouse" across the street from the Crenshaw Mall--where the movie was playing--on L.A.'s famous Crenshaw Blvd. Inside the greenhouse, I was one of 3 incarcerated individuals featured. For my part, an artist created a collage-portrait of me out of different photographs. The portrait was set in a foliage background--symbolizing growth through hardship--& a gold frame--symbolizing our innate nobility. A payphone, refurbished by, locally & Black-owned, Leimart Park Telephone Company, was placed next to my portrait for visitors to access my interview on being wrongfully convicted & sent to death row; &, my family member's--Dr. Zipporah Brown--interview on how his prosecutorial & judicial misconduct has affected the family. (𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨, w/the owner of the Leimart Park Telephone Co.). The exhibition was on display from Jan. 17-26. Tragically, Kobe Bryant & his daughter transitioned on the 26th, so the last day was also a memorial for him--Jobe had screened the movie at various Boys & Girls Clubs.

In his book, Mr. Stevenson, frequently emphasized how PROXIMITY--i.e., being close up-- to victims of injustice can not only awaken others to the unfairness & inequalities of the U.S. criminal system, but can also cause them to take action:
[PROXIMITY reveals] our system's disturbing indifference to inaccurate or unreliable verdicts, our comfort with BIAS, & and our tolerance of unfair prosecutions & convictions...how our system TRAUMATIZES & VICTIMIZES PEOPLE when we exercise our power to convict & condemn irresponsibly--not just the accused but also their FAMILIES, their COMMUNITIES, & even the VICTIMS of crime...
(@ p. 17)

Now, the world, by way of its PROXIMITY to the Ku Klux Kops' lynching of 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐝, has become acutely aware of how nefarious this "justice" system actually is; &, as a result, has begun to stand-up against this continued depravity.

Lastly, in a merciful effort to bring more people into PROXIMITY to my plight, the organizers of the promotional event has placed a synopsis of my wrongful conviction on their website, which one can find @ 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲𝐢𝐬.𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 (click on "𝐌𝐨"--my nickname).

𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐌

Another benefit I received from the movie promotion was an offer to submit a presentation for a press conference on the 1st anniversary of CA Governor Gavin Newsom's moratorium on the CA Death Penalty. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the event was cancelled; therefore, my following post is my presentation: