Supporters of Frances Newton work nonstop

Civil rights activist Dick Gregory and the president of the American Bar Association have joined the growing list of supporters of Frances Newton who are demanding that the state of Texas halt the scheduled Sept. 14 execution of this African American woman.

Frances Newton

With a week remaining before the scheduled execution, the Committee to Free Frances Newton is working nonstop.

There will be a teach-in, a hip-hop rally, a demonstration in front of the district attorney’s office, an Amnesty Interna tional vigil, a meeting at the University of Texas in Austin and a demonstration in front of the home of Newton’s court-appointed attorney.

The committee is also endorsing the Sept. 12 Emergency Day of Outrage called by the Troops Out Now Coalition and will be protesting outside the Astrodome housing New Orleans evacuees.

Twenty-five thousand postcards have been printed to send to Texas Gov. Rick Perry. The committee itself has mailed in over 5,000. A campaign by the committee and the International Action Center has generated tens of thousands of e-mails.

After suffering the racist indignities and terror unleashed by the government in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Black community is rising above the Bush-made disaster to stop this execution.

A recent arrival in Houston from New Orleans named Corey, who experienced six days of waiting to leave his home town, said about Frances Newton, “This country wants us to be Americans, but I am not an American. My people were stolen from our home, brought here and enslaved. They want to execute that girl? That’s because this government treats us all like n———. They don’t care about our lives. They shouldn’t execute anyone. They’ve already got too many problems with us right now!”

Corey is living in temporary housing in downtown Houston at the Convention Center.

Deloyd Parker, executive director of the SHAPE community center here, said about Newton, “Even amid the crisis, we must not stop fighting to stop Frances’ execution. Our people are under attack and this execution cannot be allowed to happen.” The community center is providing clothes and housing for flood survivors from Louisiana. It was born out of the 1960 civil rights and Black liberation struggles. SHAPE Center now has people coming to it who had been referred by the Red Cross.

“The Red Cross and FEMA are multi-million-dollar organizations and they’re making referrals to us?” Parker exclaimed. “If this government can create a crisis because of a natural disaster, should we trust them to do the right thing in the criminal justice system? Absolutely not! Frances Newton must NOT be executed and must be given a fair day in court!”

Activist Njeri Shakur concluded, “The ruling elite of Texas, who have announced they have no more room for people from New Orleans, have the life of Frances Newton in their hands. The evidence shows she is innocent. They must stop this execution now! We will not allow another attack on our people.”