We are TROY DAVIS

           (The beginning of a protest on the yard of Howard University)



     This whole week I had involved myself in what I like to think of as a revolution. The Troy Davis Revolution. I can remember maybe two months ago when I had gotten an email from the NAACP asking me to save some man named Troy Davis and not that I was being selfish but I was just too consumed in my own life that I had not thought twice about that of another. It wasn't until recently that I actually set aside time for myself to tap into someone else's world that I did my research on Troy Davis and I formed my own opinion of the whole situation. Now, before anyone thinks that I am trying to sway someone's beliefs let me tell you first that is the furthest thing from what I am trying to do. The only thing I want is to be one more voice added to the million who have already signed the petition to #savetroydavis. It is fine if you believe he should be put to death, I would never try to manipulate someone into believing something is true just because I say so. The only thing I say is be your own person, do your own research and formulate your OWN opinions based off of what you KNOW and not off he-say, she-say.
   
     I am upset at this whole situation not because I believe he is innocent or because I believe he is guilty. I believe he is a human and as a human I believe we should all be treated fairly and that is not at all what is occurring with Mr. Davis. I have read numerous articles and uncovered numerous statements related to the Troy Davis case and they all led me to believe that the state of Georgia is not treating this man right. From information that I gathered from an article done by the Huffington Post Click here to read article there is not enough evidence to link Troy Davis to this crime let alone KILL the man. The article says "There is no physical evidence linking Troy to the crime. The murder weapon was never recovered. Yet, he was sentenced to death. He has been on death row for 20 years, despite the fact that the case against him has completely unraveled. In fact, seven of the nine non-police witnesses later recanted or changed their testimonies, many stating that police coercion and intimidation led to their initial implication of my brother. Several new witnesses have come forward and implicated Sylvester Coles as the shooter." Now, I hate to relate this to another situation but how ironic is it that little Ms. Casey Anthony is out living her life as a free woman and tonight, at 7 pm a man, a black man to be specific, will have his life taken from him.

     Usually Vogue | Diaspora discusses fashion, beauty, health and positivity but I can't possibly think of any of that when a man is being treated so wrong. Earlier someone asked me: "why does it affect you so much, you don't even know him personally?" Now, honestly I couldn't help but laugh to keep myself from shouting out obscenities and other inappropriate things. Yes, it is true that I do not know Troy Davis and have never met him a day in my life but to be honest I AM TROY DAVIS. Troy Davis will not be the only person being murdered tonight, he is just a public example. This case has taught me that I will NEVER prosper if this is the world that we live in. When I was younger I was taught to believe that America was the land of the free and I was the luckiest little girl to have been born here but do you know what I say now... nineteen years later? America: the land of the free as long as your skin's not a shade of brown. I think we need change and we need it now. The mountaintop has not yet been reached and honestly we're no where near it. Am I crazy? Or is the world we live in crazy...

- Taking Hollywood by STORM