15th anniversary celebration
November 15th, 2018
Philadelphia, PA
Witness to Innocence celebrated its 15th anniversary by honoring the courage and commitment of United States death row exonerees and the powerful partnerships that have fueled our fight.
We hosted two events in Center City Philadelphia:
From Death Row to Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Justice
America's Death Row Exonerees & Allies Speak Out Against the Death Penalty
The National Constitution Center
Featured Speakers:
Kwame Ajamu, WTI Board Chair
Kirk Bloodsworth, WTI Deputy Director
Dearbhla Doyle, European Union
Rob Dunham, Death Penalty Information Center
Henderson Hill, 8th Amendment Project
Larry Krasner, Philadelphia District Attorney
Kathleen Lucas, PA for Alternatives to the Death Penalty
Sister Helen Prejean, WTI Co-Founder
Ray Krone, WTI Co-Founder
Barry Scheck, Innocence Project
Click here to read about special media coverage of our events, including an interview on WHYY 's Radio Times.
OVERHEARD ON NOVEMBER 15TH
"We are celebrating hope for our country... There is hope in the American people. We must take the fire in our hearts to bring the struggle forward so that no person is sentenced to death."
— Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking
15th Anniversary Evening Celebration
Death Row Exonerees Changing the World
Honoring 15 Powerful Partnerships in WTI's first 15 years
Special Guests:
Larry Krasner, Sister Helen Prejean, Barry Scheck, and over 20 death row exonerees
Look through photos above, watch a brief segment of our feature film showed at the event, and scroll through our digital program book below.
with special thanks to:
OUR HONOREES
Sister Helen Prejean & Ray Krone, co-founders of WTI
Kurt Rosenberg, Executive Director who built WTI
Freddie Lee Pitts, Randy Steidl, Nate Field & Kwame Ajamu; WTI Board Chairs
Dr. Jay Smith, Delbert Tibbs, Greg Wilhoit, Dave Keaton, John Thompson & Clarence Brandley; members we have lost
Jessica Blank & Erik Jensen, authors of "The Exonerated"
Bahiya Cabral-Johnson, Gathering Facilitator & Acting Co-Director
Nancy Vollertsen, first WTI Treasurer & Volunteer Staff Person
Elizabeth Zitrin, fierce advocate who placed WTI on a global stage
8th Amendment Project
Center on Wrongful Convictions
Death Penalty Information Center
Equal Justice USA
European Union
Innocence Project
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
OUR SPONSORS
Witness Level
Ally Level
Richard Dieter & Marjorie Roswell
Frank Denny Memorial Fund
In-Kind
OUR HOST COMMITTEE
Leonard Bernstein
Abraham Bonowitz
Laura Burstein
Karen Clark
Michael Coard
Dana Cook
Maddy deLone
John Holloway
Kathleen Lucas
Nina Morrison
Russell Neufeld
Sue Osthoff
David Rudovsky
Reggie Shuford
Rob Warden
Saundra Westervelt