We were grateful and proud to receive a copy of the Mississippi Quarterly, The Journal of Southern Cultures, Special Issue on Mass Incarceration in the US South. We are grateful to Dr. Katie Owens-Murphy, our Advisory Board Member, of North Alabama University who encouraged us and edited our contributions under the heading of Choose Your Own Homicide: Tinkering with the Machinery of Death in Alabama. And yes, we are also proud of our work!

We are of course delighted about the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the first Black woman US Supreme Court justice. There is still a pro death penalty majority in the US Supreme Court but maybe one day it will move into the 21st Century. For now we are celebrating!

Our thanks and appreciation to John Archibald a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for his Opinion column on the death penalty and for lifting up the piece written by Matthew Reeves’ attorney, “He was my responsibility and I loved him.” Yes, people convicted of crimes are people!

We are busy going over and copying the documents which trace our history from our foundation 33 years ago to the present. We want to share them with our friends who are coming on board and who represent the conservative view point. While doing this we are remembering but also studying our constitution, the particular duties that go with particular positions and the changes that had to be made over the years due to resentencing or execution. It is inspiring work!

The Soul Building and Creative Writing groups are going well and are making a difference in the lives of those participating. Although not directly part of our organization we are glad about the part we played in bringing these groups to Holman and in getting the word out about them. Man’s Search for Meaning!

In closing and as always, we continue to thank all our generous donors who either gave by going to our website and using the “donate” button or who gave directly. Thank you also to all who took the time to read our notes, commented, liked and shared them on Facebook. You encourage us and make all the difference. Stay safe!

                                                                                                       Esther