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About our Partners

Lioness Media Arts, Inc.
Lioness Media Arts, Inc. is headed up by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Lyon. Race to Execution is Lyon's 63rd film. Recently, she directed Academy Award-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss in Mr. Dreyfuss Goes to Washington, a two-hour special about the creation of Washington, DC for the History Channel. As an educator, Ms. Lyon is currently Associate Professor of Media and Culture at Bentley College.

The Center for Justice in Capital Cases
The Center for Justice in Capital Cases (CJCC), housed at the DePaul University College of Law, creates a higher standard of practice in the capital arena through vigorous advocacy and investigation, cutting-edge work in the social sciences, and a client-centered philosophy. By striving to safeguard the rights of indigent capital defendants, the Center hopes to reform the administration of criminal justice one life at a time.

The Race to Execution Outreach Project is supported by:
The Ford Foundation

 

The Race to Execution Outreach Project is an exciting new collaboration with the DePaul University Center for Justice in Capital Cases and Lioness Media Arts, Inc. that leverages the documentary Race to Execution to help build awareness and eradicate race bias in the criminal justice system and in the media. Together, we are working with the film and filmmaker to reach new audiences and create new educational materials — including a brand new media module focused on racialized representation of minority communities in the news, entertainment television, movies and on the internet. Much of the activities culminate in spring 2008, with several key partners presenting this work and related research at major conferences. DePaul University's Center for Justice in Capital Cases is the first of several, hosting a major symposium on race and the death penalty in March 2008.

Project objectives:

  • Spark a critical analysis of the role of the media in disproportionate sentencing.
  • Cultivate and engage new allies, particularly among communities of color, communities of faith and youth.
  • Boost the work of those seeking to influence local, state and/or federal policies towards achieving a fairer justice system.
  • Build support for a state-based Juror's Bill of Rights to address race discrimination in jury selection.

Project elements:

  • A series of community screenings in partnership with organizations across the country dedicated to raising awareness about race bias in the criminal justice system, often generated within the media.
  • Special presentations at conferences and other venues where stakeholders in criminal justice, law, civil rights, human rights, media studies and journalism convene.
  • A brand new DVD module, Juror Number Six, with remarkable archival footage which focuses on the role of media representation in perpetuating race bias.
  • A national symposium on race bias in death sentencing, hosted by DePaul University's Center for Justice in Capital Cases in Chicago in March 2008.
  • Educational materials to help up-and-coming professionals in law and media to cultivate a set of "best practices" in presenting race and crime.

For more information about the campaign please contact info@activevoice.net.

About the Film
Through personal narratives and often unexpected results from research on race, justice and the media, Race to Execution follows the haunting stories of two death row inmates, exposing the role race plays in who lives and who dies at the hands of the state. The film, produced and directed by Emmy Award-winner Rachel Lyon and co-produced by Jim Lopes, is a powerful documentary that enlarges the conversation regarding the death penalty, focusing attention to racial bias against black defendants that arise from unfair media coverage, race-of-jury and race-of-victim.

For more information about the film or to purchase a copy, visit www.racetoexecution.com and www.filmakers.com.




"The combination of personal stories and undeniable statistics in Race to Execution puts a much-needed human face on the data that has been around for a while. This film is an excellent vehicle to educate people about the unconscionable race bias in our death penalty system."
John Holdridge
ACLU Capital Punishment Project
"This film clearly shows how and why race is still a major factor in the criminal justice system. It is a well-researched film with a compelling narrative."
George White
UCLA Center for Communications and Community
"Race to Execution is a powerful film that explores the deep and disturbing link between race and the death penalty in America... a must see for anyone who cares about the fair administration of justice..."
Jamie Floyd
CourtTV