Troy Davis: Too Much Doubt Campaign

In my first week at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, I became involved in the Troy Davis: Too Much Doubt Campaign. Troy Davis was a African American male convicted of and executed for the August 19, 1989, murder of police officer Mark MacPhail in Savannah, Georgia. Troy Davis in his 22 years on death row recieved three stays of execution. On July 16, 2007, the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles granted a ninety-day stay of execution in order to allow the evaluation of evidence presented, including the doubts about Davis's guilt. In July 2008, a last minute emergency stay, issued by the Supreme Court less than two hours before Davis was scheduled to be put to death, halted the execution and a third one on October 21, 2008. The issue in Mr. Davis's case was that since being put on death row seven of the nine witnesses that testified that it was Troy Davis who murdered Officer MacPhail recanted their stories and stated they were coerced into testimony by law enforcement officers.  Also, there was no DNA evidence linking Mr. Davis to the murder. Despite the many groups that advocated on the behalf of Mr. Davis such as the Innocence Project, Amnesty International and the NAACP, Mr.Davis was executed after the United States Supreme Court denied him another stay. 11:08pm, September 21st, 2011 became a time I will remember forever. I cried endlessly for at least two weeks as I thought about what I felt was the wrongful execution of an innocent man. I cried because I knew that the NAACP had fought hard for a halt to the execution. I cried because Mr. Davis is cited as maintaining innocence all the way to his death. His last statement was the following: 

"Well, first of all I'd like to address the MacPhail family. I'd like to let you all know, despite the situation -- I know all of you are still convinced that I'm the person that killed your father, your son and your brother, but I am innocent. The incident that happened that night was not my fault. I did not have a gun that night. I did not shoot your family member. But I am so sorry for your loss. I really am -- sincerely. All I can ask is that each of you look deeper into this case, so that you really will finally see the truth. I ask my family and friends that you all continue to pray, that you all continue to forgive. Continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on all of your souls. God bless you all."  - Huffington Post (October 7, 2011). Troy Davis' Last Words Released by Georgia Department of Corrections (AUDIORetrieved October 18, 2011.

Here are some video clips and pictures of the Troy Davis case and the fight that the NAACP took on.