The Law, and How to Tell its Story

I had a really difficult time wrapping the fact around my head that Eddie Conway had been imprisoned for 44 years and was only recently released. I haven't even been alive for half that time, and my parents are only 46. He was imprisoned for nearly the entire time my parents have been alive, I can't even begin to comprehend what it must have been like for him. I was also surprised to hear about how the group he was a member of, The Black Panther Party, was targeted and their members were killed or imprisoned despite the fact that all they wanted was peace for everybody. I've heard stories like it before, but hearing it first hand from someone who was made into a victim is so different.

Our group has a few ideas about how to tell the "Law" part of the story. There are interesting facts that could be shared in this segment, such as statistics of what type of people are imprisoned in Maryland, what they were convicted of, student arrests, etc. Data that has been shared with us in previous lectures seems to point to a racial difference in how the law is applied enforced. Race is hugely important in this topic, it's not something we can ignore, there are clearly differences in how separate races are treated and that needs to be addressed. I feel that we should interview lawyers (defense attorneys and prosecutors) to gain an understanding of the topic from individuals who have devoted their lives to studying and practicing "Law."