“There is no reason to kill. No reason for me to kill, no reason for you to kill, and no reason for the state to kill.”
These are the words of Lawrence Hayes as he spoke at the “Live from Death Row Tour,” a national speaking tour with a focus on building opposition to the death penalty. Like most of his advocacy, Lawrence used his voice to share his story for change. He died this week after a lifetime of making that change.
Lawrence spent 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Upon his freedom, he dedicated his commitment to advocate against state-sanctioned murder. Sharing his story to highlight the injustices in the system that caused him harm at every corner of the process — from the treatment by police, the failure in the courts, and the treatment from the media regarding his case. A former Black Panther who knew what it meant to stand up for his rights and others. A leader that became a target even as he was a free man trying to point to the failures. He will always be a champion for the movement as he helped to shed the light on a system that doesn’t create safety, that harms, that needs to be abolished.
We thank him for his commitment and his contribution to the movement. May you rest in peace, Lawrence.
