Articles

Georgia on my mind

by James Clingman
Chicago Defender
June 1, 2007

William Mayo has been wrongfully imprisoned in Georgia for 15 years now, having received two life sentences plus 40 years (I guess that was just in case he is reincarnated) for a crime he did not commit, a crime committed by two young men who have since told the courts that William had nothing to do with the crime.

One of the two has been released, having done the "short" time he was given for committing the crime of, hold on to your hat, ROBBERY! That's right, robbery. No one was hurt, stolen articles were recovered, and William, implicated by intimidation of the two young men by the prosecutor, is paying dearly for it. As Ray Charles said, "Georgia, Oh Georgia!"

It didn't matter that Mayo had never been in trouble before; it didn't matter that he was just a few hours from getting his degree from Morehouse; it didn't matter that William Mayo was a positive role model and mentor for young men, in the act of helping the two young men who did the crime; and it didn't matter that he was a church-going, law-abiding citizen prior to being dragged into the abyss in which he now finds himself.

In June 2005 I attended Mayo's court hearing. At least that's what they called it. And I wrote an article titled, 'New Jack Slavery', after watching a racist judge make very short work of Mayo's attempt to present evidence to prove his innocence. He was not even allowed to speak at his own hearing. Talk about a travesty of justice, that Georgia Judge displayed it that day.

So Georgia has been on my mind lately, not only because of William Mayo, but also because of other cases I have seen. The vegan parents whose child died of malnutrition were given life sentences for murder. LIFE? C'mon, Georgia. Sure they should be punished, but LIFE?

What kind of state do you Georgians live in? Or is this the kind of punishment reserved strictly for Black folks, like the seven years given to Shaquanda Cotton in Paris, Texas, for shoving a hall monitor?

Georgia is on my mind because of its lack of fairness and its blatant disregard for even a modicum of compassion for William Mayo, Jade Sanders, and Lamont Thomas. Even if William did commit robbery, don't you think 15 years is enough? He can't even get a fair hearing to review his case. Sanders and Thomas loved their child, I am sure, and although they were misguided and uninformed in the diet they fed the child, I don't believe they intended to murder the baby. Someone ought to get their sentence reduced. Is there no common sense in Georgia courtrooms?

The state that boasts the likes of MLK, Maynard Jackson, Cynthia McKinney, John Lewis, Joseph Lowery, and many more strong Black folks cannot seem to get it right and fair when it comes to its Black population, which is the first or second largest Black population of all the states. Two life sentences for robbery, and life for the unintentional death of a baby by his parents. That's why Georgia is on my mind.

Here are the questions: If a Black man can get double-life plus 40 years for robbery and a couple can get life for the unintentional death of their baby, what is the penalty for premeditated murder?

What's the penalty for shooting a 92 year-old Black woman?

What's the penalty for a cop murdering Kenneth Walker? What's the penalty for beating Paul Johnson to death in a police holding cell? What is the penalty for mass murder in Georgia? Triple-life plus fifty years?

Yes, Georgia is definitely on my mind; so much so that I would love to find out why a state with so many Black political figures and influential "leaders" such as Andrew Young, who defends Paul Wolfowitz but utters not a word on behalf of William Mayo, can not effect change in Georgia's ridiculous criminal "injustice system."

What good does it do for Black folks to occupy high political offices in Georgia, especially in its Capital, Atlanta, and have such glowing historical claim to being "civil rights" fighters and change agents?

What good is it if these folks do not assert themselves to bring justice and
fairness to a court system under which they and their children must live?

There is no way anyone can look objectively at the Georgia system of punishment and say it is equitable. That's not to say the same issues do not exist in most other cities across this country, but right now, I have Georgia on my mind.

About 45 years ago, Georgia was a place where only those Blacks who were from there would travel. I didn't make my first trip to Georgia until 1970, scared of what I would encounter as I stopped at a gas station on the outskirts of town.

It was the only time in my entire life that I carried a firearm (borrowed) with me on a trip - or anywhere else for that matter. I was pleasantly surprised when I pulled up to the gas pump and the White attendant said, "May I help you, sir?" I exhaled at that point and have been to Georgia too many times to count since then.

But even today, despite some Black people referring to Atlanta as the Black "Mecca" and despite the positive changes in other parts of the state, the criminal justice system imposed in Georgia is straight out of the Dark Age, and Black folks must stand up against it and demand real justice - for the innocent as well as for the guilty. Meanwhile, I pray I never get accused of anything in Georgia. With my editorial reputation, they would probably give me quadruple-life for speeding.

Free William Mayo, Georgia. Somebody do something for this young man, please!

James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati's African American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the radio program, 'Blackonomics,' and has written several books, including Black-o-Knowledge-Stuff. To book Clingman for a speech or purchase his books, go to his Web site, www.blackonomics.comor call him at 513/ 489-4132.

View this story online at: http://www.chicagodefender.com/page
/commentary.cfm?ArticleID=9577.

Copyright 2007 The Chicago Defender. More information: http://www.chicagodefender.com/

To make a comment on the Faith And The City weblog, click here.

Fair Use Notice

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.

For more information, visit: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.