Ten years ago tonight, more than 100 people stood in vigil all night outside Central Prison in Raleigh as Sammy Flippen was executed and his mother and family were drained of tears. As had become the norm at every execution for the prior three years a group of people were arrested for civil disobedience. After 4 a.m. we cleaned up the sidewalk after 4 a.m. and packed up the supplies to bring back to the People of Faith Against the Death Penalty office.
Thanks to a broad coalition of thousands of ordinary people all over the state, religious leaders, litigators, lobbyists, legislators, and others there has not been an execution in North Carolina since that awful night.
Ten years without an execution in what was the fifth most frequently executing state in the nation (now still listed as the 9th) is an answer to prayers and a sign of great hope. The murder rate in North Carolina has decreased since that night.
Though many of the powers that be in Raleigh want to restart executions, the moral arc is bending. Let us rejoice!
Tonight there will be an interfaith memorial prayer service marking this anniversary at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church in Raleigh at 7 p.m. followed by a candlelight procession to Central Prison. Click here for more information.
Thank you for your involvement with PFADP and the abolition movement. Let us continue the struggle.
Right now PFADP needs your financial support. Tomorrow we launch a new project in North Carolina. We are working on special projects with campaigns in other states around the country as well, all of which will be described here when we announce them soon.
If we can stop executions in North Carolina, we can stop executions everywhere in the country. Help us get there.