Those of us who have been fighting to defend social justice and human rights and to save Shaka’s life recognize the tremendous significance of the Shaka Sankofa case to the abolitionist and worldwide human rights movement. If the State of Texas can execute Shaka Sankofa while the White House and the United Nations sit silently by, a terrible message, even worst than the one sent by the Simi Valley verdict, will be sent to people around the world who have fought for justice for Shaka Sankofa, because his case has come to symbolize something much bigger than that of a lone innocent Black man. The victories achieved in his case will ultimately lead the way to much more sweeping victories in bringing down the barbaric death penalty and fighting back against a racially biased criminal prosecution system and a repressive political system.

Many of you are only too familiar with the shocking facts of Shaka’s case. Eighteen long years ago, when Shaka Sankofa was a 17-year-old juvenile, he was convicted and sentenced to death by a predominately white jury for the robbery/murder of a white man in Houston in 1981 based on the flimsy and unreliable identification of a single witness. No physical evidence linked him to the crime and Shaka has always maintained his innocence. The compelling evidence of Shaka’s innocence presently consists of eight eyewitnesses to the crime who state that Shaka could not be the person responsible for the murder of Bobby Lambert in 1981. Four of these witnesses were known to the police at the time of the trial but were never asked to bring forth the information in their possession. Additionally, five alibi witnesses swear that Shaka was with them when the murder occurred. All five have passed polygraph test. In total, thirteen witnesses are prepared to testify that Shaka is innocent.

Prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel have been documented in Shaka’s case. The investigator responsible for the trial investigation in Shaka’s case has signed an affidavit stating that he assumed Shaka was guilty and consequently did not pursue an investigation of the case.

One of the trial attorneys has also sworn under oath that Shaka did not receive competent legal representation at trial. A ballistics report which conclusively established that the gun found in Shaka’s possession was not used to fire the fatal bullet was withheld from the jury by prosecutors and only surfaced years later when Shaka’s new attorneys forced the District Attorney to release its files on Shaka’s case.

Those files, withheld and suppressed for years by the office of the District Attorney, also reveal that when the police detective initially showed the witness a photo of Shaka Sankofa, who was then known as Gary Graham, before she later picked him out of a line-up, she not only did not identify Shaka but excluded him as the gunman when, according to the recently uncovered police files, she "said that the photo of Gary Gram [sic] looked like the suspect she saw on the night of the offense except the complexion of the suspect she saw was darker and his face vas thinner." This important information was never presented to the jury that sentenced Shaka to death. One of the members of that jury have come forward recently and publicly stated that all of the facts were not made known to the jury in 1981 and that he now believes that Shaka is innocent and that he did not receive a fair trial.

Throughout the country and around the world, thousands of individuals and many progressive organizations have publicly called for a halt to Shaka’s execution and have demanded a new fair trial. Prominent people have joined Shaka’s cause, including Hollywood celebrities Danny Glover, Spike Lee, Edward Asner, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Lionel Richie, Norman Lear, Mike Farrell, Valerie Harper, and Harry Belafonte. In addition, some of the well-known political and public figures involve include: Dr. Ben Chavis-Muhammad, former Attorney General Ramsey Clark, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Coretta Scott King, Minister Robert Muhammad, Houston City Councilman Jew Don Boney, Rev. Bill Lawson, Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam; and the Bishop Joseph A. Fiorenza who wrote a letter on behalf of the eighteen Catholic Bishops of Texas calling on the Governor to stop the execution: "In the Book of Deuteronomy Moses exhorted the Israelites: ‘The testimony of two or three witnesses is required for putting a person to death; no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.’ Since one witness can be mistaken, it is wise, prudent and just to adhere to this biblical judicial rule."

We urgently need funds for investigative and legal expenses. Our goal is to raise $150,000. Investigation needs are critical. If Shaka face this critical juncture of his 18 year battle for justice without the resources and the top notch and specialized legal help called for, he could be executed despite the overwhelming and compelling evidence of his innocence.

We also urgently need money for community organizing costs and activities including leaflets and posters, telephone calls and faxes, buses to transport supporters to demonstrations, radio ads and newspapers ads, xeroxing, billboards, postage for mass mailings, production and distribution of audio and video materials and booklets and tabloids to help further build public awareness.

Please help us in this historic struggle for justice. Your donation will not only help us to save the life of this innocent man, an honorable and noble goal in and of itself, but your financial assistance and moral and political support will help to support and fuel the international movement against the death penalty which has been galvanized around the plight of Shaka Sankofa.

Please contribute generously to the campaign for justice for Shaka Sankofa. We strongly urge you to quickly respond to our plea for material and financial aid. Another execution date could be set at any time and we need to be able and ready to do everything that we can possibly do to help keep Shaka alive until real justice is achieved. We thank you for your generous support. Please mail your generous donation today.