CommonDreams.org: on Crime

Ajamu Baraka: Worked to abolish death penalty as human rights activist

"We are honoring Ajamu for his longtime service and remarkable dedication to the abolition of the death penalty," said the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty's Executive Director. "As Southern Regional Director of Amnesty International, Ajamu has traveled extensively throughout the South, highlighting not just the death penalty cases that receive tremendous media attention, but each and every case, regardless of the level of publicity."

Ajamu Baraka: Abolition follows examining death penalty in a moral context

"We have an abolition unity plan among organizations at the national level, growing doubt about the death penalty system, significant momentum with the moratorium in Illinois, and a lot more scrutiny of the system as a reward for our hard work," Baraka said. "As the public continues to examine the death penalty in a moral context, I believe that support for abolition of the death penalty will grow." He emphasized that this award is for all of the people who have worked to abolish the death penalty in the United States. Baraka calls on activists "to stay the course and victory will follow."