"The answer is love and compassion for all humanity."
The Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing will be in Ohio from October 11 to October 20, 2019.
The Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing is led by murder victims' family members who share their experiences to convey that the death penalty has nothing to do with the healing that these families need and deserve. The Ohio Journey is taking place at exactly the time when policy makers and the public are having serious discussions about this difficult issue in Ohio. Journey speakers can help your community shape that conversation.
Journey "storytellers" come from all walks of life and represent the full spectrum and diversity of faith, color and economic situation. We recount our tragedies and struggles to heal as a way of opening dialogue on the death penalty in schools, colleges, churches and other venues, changing hearts and minds.
Featured Speakers
Murder Victim Family Members and Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing Advocates:
LaShawn Ajamu, SueZann Bosler, Chris Castillo, Melinda Dawson, Bill Pelke, Rev. Sharon Risher, Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., and George White.
Death Row Exonerees and Witness to Innocence Members:
Kwame Ajamu, Joe D’Ambrosio, Shujaa Graham, and Derrick Wayne Jamison.
Death Row Family Members:
Dr. Chris Brown, Charles Keith, Wana Akpan & Rodrick Reed, Terri Steinberg, and Rhonda Labroi.
Supporters:
Abraham J. Bonowitz, Shane Claiborne, Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, Mason Shihab, Bob Gross, Hannah Kubbins, Brandi Slaughter, and Gary Witte.
Supporting Victim Family Members
The Journey of Hope believes in a consistent standard provision of support for the families of homicide victims across all of Ohio's 88 counties, in addition to ending Ohio's Death Penalty. Currently, there is no set minimum standard protocol of available support for murder victim family members, and many families are left without support or answers. The Ohioans to Stop Executions Murder Victim Family Services Project has published a list of recommendations, which if implemented into a statewide minimum standard protocol, would make a significant difference in the healing process of many families of murder victims in Ohio.
The Journey of Hope believes that executions do nothing to stop the pain or heal the loss of a loved one to homicide. We can be safe from dangerous individuals and hold them accountable to their actions without executions. Together, we can heal our communities and end the death penalty in Ohio forever.
Ohio Journey of Hope Launch Weekend in Columbus
Oct. 11, 7pm: An Evening with Sister Helen Prejean in partnership with Gramercy Books.
Oct 12, 9am to 4pm: Cast No Stones: Standing With Victims to End Executions in Ohio - a day-long conference featuring Sr. Helen Prejean, Shane Claiborne, Rev. Sharon Risher, Dr. Chris Brown, Bill Pelke, Kwame Ajamu, and others.
Oct 12, 7pm to 10pm: The Journey of Hope Leadership Awards Gala honoring Attorney Adele Shank, Prof. Marge Koosed, Kevin Werner, Chris Keith, Bill Pelke, Witness to Innocence, and others.
Oct 13, 4-6pm: Traveling Mercies: A Journey of Hope Send Off featuring Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr. Hosted by Bishop Donald J. Washington at Mt. Hermon Missionary Baptist Church. Speakers also include Rodrick Reed, brother of innocent Texas death row prisoner Rodney Reed (Execution date November 20, 2019), and Ohio Death Row Exonerated Derrick Wayne Jamison, and others.
Journey Tour Across Ohio, October 14th - 20th
Central
Tuesday, Oct 15, 7:00 pm: St. James Ministry Center, 1614 Oakland Park Ave, Columbus, Speakers: Chris Castillo and George White.
Thursday, Oct 17, 8:00 pm: Sanctuary Columbus Church, 7349 Worthington-Galena Road, Worthington. Speakers: George White, Chris Castillo, and Shujaa Graham.
Sunday, Oct 20, 9:45 am: Redeemer Lutheran Church 1555 South James Rd., Columbus 3785. Speaker: George White.
Northeastern
Monday, Oct 14, 7:00 pm: Christ United Methodist Church, 1140 Claremont Avenue, Ashland. Speaker: George White.
Monday, Oct 14, 7:00 pm: St. John's Ohio City Episcopal Church, 2600 Church Avenue, Cleveland. Speakers: Bill Pelke and Shujaa Graham.
Tuesday, Oct 15, 3:15 pm: University of Akron Law School, 150 University Ave., Room 280, Akron. Speakers: Bill Pelke.
Tuesday, Oct 15, 6:00 pm: John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd., Room 202-203, University Heights. Speakers: Shujaa Graham and LaShawn Ajamu.
Wednesday, Oct 16, 5:30 pm: First United Church of Christ, 106 N. Main St., Oberlin (meal at 5:45 pm). Speakers: George White and Shujaa Graham.
Wednesday, Oct 16, 6:30 pm: John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd., University Heights. Speakers: Bill Pelke.
Wednesday, Oct 16, 7:00 pm: St. Andrew Episcopal Church, 7989 Little Mountain Rd, Mentor. Speakers: Melinda Dawson, Charles Keith, and Kwame Ajamu.
Sunday, Oct 20, 10:15 am: Unitarian Universalist Assn of Westfield Center, 6 Park Circle, Westfield Center. Speakers: Bill Pelke and Shujaa Graham.
Northwestern
Thursday, Oct 17, 4:30 pm: Health and Human Services Bldg, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Room 1500, Toledo. Speakers: Bill Pelke, LaShawn Ajamu, and Kwame Ajamu.
Thursday, Oct 17, 7:00 pm: First Unitarian Universalist Church of Toledo, 3205 Glendale Ave, Toledo. Speakers: Bill Pelke, LaShawn Ajamu, and Kwame Ajamu.
Southwestern
Monday, Oct 14, 10:00 am: Church of the Advent, 2366 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati. Speakers: Derrick Jamison, SueZann Bosler and Terri Steinberg.
Monday, Oct 14, 7:00 pm: Bellarmine Chapel, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati. Speakers: Derrick Jamison, SueZann Bosler, and Terri Steinberg.
Western (Dayton and Others)
Tuesday, Oct 15, 6:30 pm: Kelly Center, Wilmington College, 1870 Quaker Way, Wilmington. Speakers: Derrick Jamison, SueZann Bosler, and Terri Steinberg.
Thursday, Oct 17, 6:00 pm: Trotwood Church of the Brethren, 208 E. Main St., Trotwood. Speakers: SueZann Bosler, Terri Steinberg, and Derrick Jamison.
Saturday, Oct 19, 6:00 pm: Pleasant Hill Church of the Brethren, 300 E. Monument St., Pleasant Hill. Speakers: SueZann Bosler, Terri Steinberg and Derrick Jamison.
Sunday, Oct 20, 9:30 am: Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren, 800 East David Road, Kettering. Speakers: SueZann Bosler and Derrick Jamison.
Sunday, Oct 20, 10:45 am: Lower Miami Church of the Brethren, 5353 Germantown Pike, Dayton. Speakers: Chris Castillo and Terri Steinberg.
ENDORSERS, CO-SPONSORS AND CO-CONVENERS
Abolitionist Action Committee
American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio
Amnesty International USA Ohio Members
Catholic Conference of Ohio
Catholic Mobilizing Network
Death Penalty Action
Dominican Sisters of Peace
Episcopal Peace Fellowship
Equal Justice USA
Faith in Public Life – Ohio
Intercommunity Justice & Peace Center
Journey of Hope …From Violence to Healing
League of Women Voters of Ohio
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty
Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
The Ohio Conference of Units of the NAACP
Ohio Council of Churches
Ohio Justice and Policy Center
Ohio Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival
Ohioans to Stop Executions
Pax Christi USA
Unitarian Universalist Justice Ohio
United Methodist Church General Board of Church & Society
Western New York Peace Center
Witness to Innocence
To add your organizations' name as an endorsing and supporting organization, and for sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@journeyofhope.org.
Proceeds support the Ohio Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing and the ongoing public education efforts of Ohioans to Stop Executions and the Ohio Council of Churches. All contributions are deliverable to the Journey of Hope... From Violence to Healing, a 501c3 organization. EIN # 35-2022767. Letters will be provided indicating charitable contributions less the value of anything received.
Questions, comments, or concerns? Contact us at info@DeathPenaltyAction.org and 800-973-6548 or 561-371-5204 (text messages accepted).