Bernice King, M.Div., J.D., C’85, will participate in a panel discussion on criminal justice reform with CNN host Van Jones, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 23, at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Park Site in Atlanta.
King, a global thought leader, orator and peace advocate, will be joined on the panel by Angela Stanton-King, Pamela Winn, Ricky Brown, and community leaders. Prior to the discussion, there will be a screening of “The Redemption Project with Van Jones,” a new eight-part CNN Original Series which offers a rare glimpse into the restorative justice process.
About the Episode
Each episode follows the victim – or surviving family members – of a life-alerting crime as they journey to meet face-to-face with the person that caused harm in hopes of getting questions answered. “The Redemption Project with Van Jones” airs Sundays at 9PM ET/PT on CNN.
“Drive by Death”
Van Jones travels to Oakland, the city he once called home, to meet with Donald Lacy, an activist and comedian whose 16-year-old daughter, LoEshé, was an innocent bystander murdered two decades ago in a gang-related shooting. For years, Donald has had nagging questions about what really happened the night of the incident, and he wants to meet with the man who took his daughter’s life to find out the answers. Christopher Smith was a 16-year-old gang member when he and three others fired over 40 rounds of ammunition into the van in which LoEshé was sitting.
For the past two years, both men have been preparing to meet face-to-face behind the walls of San Quentin, California’s oldest prison. Through their journey and dialogue, Jones discovers the depths of a father’s love; the circumstances surrounding an aimless teenager’s fateful decision; and the power of redemption.