Last Sunday, the nation honored the memory, achievements and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., officially commemorating his memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. I believe it was a moving and fitting tribute to not just his efforts, but the entire civil rights movement, and a reminder of just how far we’ve come.
At the same time, over the course of this month we’ve seen story after story that reminds us that, though progress has clearly been made, the issue of race and its lingering pernicious impact continues to be a problem in our nation.
The issue of race in America first rose back to the surface of our national debate following the execution of Lawrence Brewer here in Texas. Brewer was the unrepentant murderer of James Byrd, Jr., whose 1998 dragging death in Jasper shocked our state and our nation. Days later in Georgia, Troy Davis was executed. Davis, African American, was convicted of murdering a white off-duty police officer. Davis was convicted solely on the basis of eyewitness identification but, since his trial, 7 of 9 eyewitnesses recanted their previous testimony. Right or wrong, many saw race as a key factor in the execution going forward. Continue Reading »