Journey of Hope moves from Bryan to Dallas

Another update from Beth, on the road with the Journey of Hope...From Vioence to Healing:

Hi All,

Sorry for the late post -- we didn't arrive in Dallas until 12:30 Central time. It was 2:00 am before we were organized and ready to sleep so I'm moving a little slowly today.

We spent our day in Bryan, Texas. We were traveling with Felicia Draughon and her beautiful daughter Alivia. Felicia's brother, Martin in on Texas' death row for a murder he did commit. She told of being 16 years old when she found herself attending the trial of her brother. She was told it was a capital trial but she didn't know what that meant or really understand the severity of the charge. She talks of her utter disbelief when they found her brother guilty of capital murder. Although he did shoot the gun, it wasn't at a specific person and he didn't deserve capital murder. The victim was killed by a ricochet bullet - a fact that was hidden by the prosecution.

She reports how her mother staggered from the room and collapsed on the floor. Felicia says that she can still here the haunting sound of her mother's head slapping against the floor. Felicia says that she doesn't always feel like she has a "story" because for her there is no end -- her brother currently sits on death row in Texas. In fact, she spent time with him just prior to the Journey. She has been devastated by having a family member just waiting for the state to kill them. She told the audiences about her brother's life of 23 hours of solitary confinement and that he NEVER gets to go outside. She would give anything just to touch her brother again.
We spoke at a University and then were interviewed for a radio program. The interview was recorded and will be aired later. Then we went to dinner with a group of folks from the local abolition groups and churches.

More Later . . .

Beth Wood