More than 100 people gathered on the Diag last night for a candlelight vigil to commemorate the life of a man who they believe was wrongly executed for murder.
Troy Davis was executed Wednesday night, more than 20 years after being arrested for the murder of an off-duty white police officer in Georgia. The case made headlines around the world, as many believed that Davis was wrongly convicted.
The vigil, organized by the University’s chapter of the NAACP and the Black Student Union, included a moment of silence for Davis and his family and speeches from people opposed to the death penalty.
“It wasn’t about that he was a black man,” Janee Brown, president of the University’s chapter of the NAACP, said in an interview at the vigil. “There was so much doubt in that case.”
Of the nine main witnesses originally in the trial, seven have recanted their testimony, alleging that the police coerced them into testifying against Davis. Multiple public figures, including Pope Benedict XVI and former President Jimmy Carter, have also expressed doubt about the verdict.
“We are in a judicial system where you are innocent until proven guilty,” Brown said. “But he had to prove his innocence.”
Michael Dalton, assistant secretary of the University’s chapter of the NAACP, said the event was important for campus unity.
“As a people we need to come together more often,” Dalton said. “Regardless of skin color, we are all one people.”
Brown said the event was organized on the “spur of the moment,” but she said she was pleased with the event. She added that she said she hopes the vigil will raise awareness about a judicial system that is “deeply flawed.”
If only one person’s opinion about the judicial system and the death penalty changed as a result of the vigil, it would be a success, Brown said. Brown also stressed the importance of action among students instead of just talking about the Davis case.
“You made your Twitter status about (the Troy Davis case), but now let’s do something about it,” Brown said.