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 White Plains, NY - ArtsWestchester will present a provocative panel discussion entitled Is Criminal Justice Just? The panel discussion, presented in collaboration with the White Plains Public Library, is set for Tuesday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m., at the White Plains Public Library, 200 Martine Avenue in White Plains.
The event has been planned as part of ArtsWestchester’s “The Big Read” initiative, which invites the entire county to read the same book this month- Ernest Gaines’ A Lesson Before Dying.
Discussion panelists will include Christina Swarns, Death Penalty Counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; Richard Dieter, Executive Director of the Washington D.C.-based The Death Penalty Information Center, and Michael B. Mushlin, Professor of Law, Pace Law School. Although the event is free and open to the public, guests are encouraged to R.S.V.P to Lauren Milo at (914) 428-4220 x 235 or
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The aim of the panel discussion will not be to promote a ‘for’ or ‘against’ position on capital punishment but to foster a community dialogue as a way of providing context for legal issues raised in ArtsWestchester’s “The Big Read” book selection “A Lesson Before Dying.” Set in a fictional town in New Orleans in the late 1940’s, the book chronicles the life of Jefferson, a young African-American man who is wrongfully accused of killing a white store owner. After he is sentenced to death, Jefferson’s godmother asks a local African American teacher named Grant Wiggins to visit Jefferson in jail and ‘make him a man’ by teaching him about life and various subjects.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA)’s Big Read initiative is designed to promote literary reading among teens and adults, and to encourage readers to engage in the type of activities that foster critical thinking. “We’re trying to reach what the NEA calls ‘reluctant readers,’ says ArtsWestchester Deputy Director Joanne Mongelli. “So, as part of this year’s Big Read we’ve planned related free events as an introduction for people who might first be interested in these corollary issues and, as a result, might afterwards be encouraged to read A Lesson Before Dying.”
Death Penalty in Context
While the death penalty for criminal offenses has been in existence throughout human history, in the past forty years more and more countries have abolished the practice. A recent study by Amnesty International, noted that the number of countries that have abolished the Death Penalty grew from 16 in 1977 to 93 in 2008. Sixty countries still actively retain capital punishment including the five countries with the highest execution rates (in order based on number of executions carried out in 2007) China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, USA and Iraq.
In the United States, 1,075 capital punishment executions have taken place between 1977 and 2007, with the states of Texas, Virginia, and Oklahoma having the most executions during the period. In the United States, the use of the Death Penalty in homicide trials continues to be a hotly debated issue. Among other arguments, opponents of the death penalty contend that it does not deter criminals and is meted out disproportionately to persons of color, while advocates believe it is an effective deterrent and brings comfort to victims’ families.
The Distinguished Panel Includes:
Christina Swarns, Death Penalty Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Christina Swarns is the Director of the Criminal Justice Project of the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund, Inc. In that capacity, Ms Swarns represents individuals charged and/or convicted of criminal and capital offenses, prepares amicus briefs to various courts including the United States Supreme Court, and assists in the coordination of nation-wide strategies for criminal justice reform. Among her other clients, Ms. Swarns was one of the attorneys who represented Nicholas Yarris, the first death sentenced prisoner in Pennsylvania to be exonerated by DNA evidence.
Richard C. Dieter, Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center
As Executive Director of the Death Penalty Information Center, Richard C. Dieter works to serve the media and the general public with information on issues concerning capital punishment. The Center was founded in 1990 and prepares in-depth reports, issues press releases, conducts briefing for journalists, and serves as a resource for those interested in capital punishment. Dieter is also an attorney who has written and spoken extensively on criminal justice issues.
Michael B. Mushlin
Michael B. Mushlin practiced law as a public interest and civil rights lawyer for 15 years. He was the Associate Director of the Children’s rights project of the ACLU, project Director of the Prisoner’s Rights Project of the Legal Aid Society of New York, and Staff Counsel of with Harlem Association of Rights Inc. His three-volume treatise, The Rights of Prisoners, was published in 2006, in addition to numerous article on prisoners rights and other legal issues.
At Pace University Law School Professor Mushlin teaches Civil Procedure, Criminal Procedure, Evidence, Federal Courts, a Seminar on the History of Corrections, Theories of Punishment, and Prisoners’ Rights.
Upcoming Special “Big Read” Events Include
Thursday, Feb 26, 7:30pm, Mercy College (555 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry, NY)
A Conversation with the Author
Ernest J. Gaines talks about his life and work and answers your questions. Join this interactive, televised conversation. Presented in collaboration with Hudson Valley Writers Center.
Wednesday, Feb 25, 11am - 1pm, Westchester Community College, Valhalla, Classroom Building room 200
Screening of the Film, “A Lesson Before Dying”
Sunday, Mar 1, 2:30pm - 4pm Arts Exchange, 31 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains
The American Ethic: Do We Have a Duty to Care?
Independence, self reliance and the primacy of individual rights over the collective are among the values that define American culture. But what about the common good…civil society? Is self-interest paramount? A Lesson Before Dying invites us to think deeply about the obligations we have to one another and to society. Kerry Kennedy, an advocate for social justice and author of “Speak Truth to Power,” leads a community dialogue about the duty to care, social justice, and the type of society in which we want to live. Seating limited.
Tuesday, Mar 10, 8pm, Westchester Community College, Valhalla, Classroom Building Room 200
The Play and the Playwright
The Big Read gives you an opportunity to attend a reading of “A Lesson Before Dying,” adapted for theatre by Romulus Linney, followed by a conversation beween the playwright and John Dillon, Director, Theatre Program, Sarah Lawrence College. The reading is directed by Mara Mills and features Michael King, VanElliot Chambless, Thomas Kramer, George Crooms, Marilyn Anderson, Charisse Brown and Daniel Basiletti. Seating is limited.
Book Discussion Broadcast
Westchester Community College’s radio station, WARY 88.1 fm will broadcast a book discussion in February. For info call Radames Ocasio at 914.606.6752
Those interested in getting involved in The Big Read are encouraged to visit ArtsWestchester’s website at www.artswestchester.org to learn about the free public programs that will take place between February and March of 2009. Additionally, many local libraries will be selecting A Lesson Before Dying as part of their February book club discussion and residents are encouraged to contact their libraries directly. For those who want to read A Lesson Before Dying with friends or their civic or youth group, ArtsWestchester can provide a discussion facilitator, free of charge. To arrange a facilitator, or for more information about The Big Read contact Ruth Katz, at the Westchester Arts Council, at (914) 428-4220 x 233 or
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The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. The NEA initiated The Big Read to promote literary reading among teens and adults, and to encourage readers to engage in the type of activities that foster critical thinking. The National Endowment for the Arts encourages arts agencies from across the county to apply for Big Read grants. In applying, local arts agencies are asked to select one book from a short list of great American books that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has pre-selected. At any time, Big Reads are occurring in communities across the United States.
ArtsWestchester is your connection to the arts. Founded in 1965, is the largest, private, not-for-profit arts council in New York State. Its mission is to provide leadership, vision, and support, to ensure the availability, accessibility, and diversity of the arts. ArtsWestchester provides programs and services that enrich the lives of everyone in Westchester. Our grants help fund concerts, exhibitions and plays; we bring artists into schools and community centers; we are the premiere marketer of the arts in Westchester. In 1998, the ArtsWestchester purchased the nine-story neo-classical bank building at 31 Mamaroneck Avenue. After acquiring Historic Landmark designation, renovation and restoration transformed the old bank into what is now known as the Arts Exchange, a multi-use resource for artists, cultural organizations, and the community.
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