Freedom First began as a concert series in the summer of 2020 on the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan shortly after the murder of George Floyd, and at a time the country was shut down due to Covid. The aim of these beautiful shows has been to raise public awareness of yet another grave injustice being done in our names, and to seek support for the Campaign for Justice for Keith LaMar while we still can...
Keith LaMar is a WRONGFULLY-CONVICTED Black man who faces state-sanctioned murder for crimes he can prove he did not commit—his execution date has been reset for January 13, 2027 (his original date was November 16, 2023!).
Keith is still breathing. Let's not wait for him to become a hashtag.
We are bringing this incredible jazz concert back to the 5Cs! We'll be rejoined by a band of provocative and gifted contemporary artists, who will play music from the first ever album in history created and recorded by someone on death row, aptly titled FREEDOM FIRST as well as a SNEAK PEAK from the soon-to-be-released 2nd album, LIVE from Death Row.
Keith, an avid jazz lover, lends his soulful and heart-wrenching spoken-word poetry to some of his favorite tunes and several new original pieces written for/with him. After three years of sold-out and standing-room only shows on three continents, Keith will be joining us by telephone from Ohio's Supermax Prison where he has spent over three decades in solitary confinement on death row. In spite of these unimaginably difficult years of torture, he continues to shine a bright light into the world, teaching, motivating, and loving people with great intention. We hope that you will join us in our support as we strive to get Justice for Keith LaMar.
Read the article about Freedom First at POMONA in 2023: https://truthout.org/articles/from-death-row-keith-lamar-has-built-a-movement-for-love-art-and-abolition/
Read about Freedom First at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/11/arts/music/keith-lamar-death-row-freedom-first.html
Sponsored By:
- 5C Prison Abolition
- Critical Resistance LA
- The HIVE
- OBSA
- Religious Studies Department, Pomona College
Learn more about Keith's story at: www.keithlamar.org
#loveistheonlyfreedom #justiceforkeithlamar
