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NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Committed to ending the death penalty and creating a new vision of justice

  • Who We Are
    • Mission & History
    • Our Values
    • People Most Proximate
    • Coalition Members
    • Staff, Board, & Advisory Council
    • Our Funders
  • What We Do
  • Why End the Death Penalty?
    • Column 1
      • Racism
      • Innocence
      • Intellectual Disability & Mental Illness
    • Column 2
      • Public Safety
      • High Cost of Death
      • Waning Support
    • Column 3
      • Lethal Injection
      • Antiquated Sentences
      • Unfair Trials
  • Events
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Search NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty

Lynda Simmons: Collage

Learn more: People Most Proximate: Our Creativity

The message for me is that life and loss changes us most profoundly from the inside out. Grief is not something we get over; it’s not a one and done. Grief becomes a part of who we are and we can never go back to who we were. Grief is indeed a monster at times but it’s also a friend, a teacher, a liberator… It’s a lifelong journey, and as time passes we are gifted with the beauty that comes from the ashes. We have to be mindful as we travel the often hard path of transformation, learning to appreciate the process and knowing there is grace sufficient for the journey. May we live peacefully, love freely and forgive faithfully… as we move forward into the years.

lynda simmons

On July 25, 2004, Lynda Simmons’ son, Brian Eddie Colletti, was murdered, which began for Lynda a life-altering journey that continues to this day. Within a firm spiritual foundation, Lynda reaches out to others, shares her own experiences, advocates for Restorative Justice, and assists crime victims in their own healing process. She works with those citizens who are, or have been, incarcerated, with the hope of transforming our communities into a more tolerant and safe space for all.

Filed Under: Creative Expressions, People Most Proximate

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Contact

NCCADP Alternate Logo
NCCADP
3326 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd.
Building D, Suite 201
Durham, NC 27707
noel@nccadp.org
919-404-7409

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Carol lost her parents to homicide and survived mu Carol lost her parents to homicide and survived multiple gunshot wounds. She still says: end the death penalty.

Join NCCADP and people directly impacted by the death penalty on August 16 to imagine and experience death penalty abolition.

🗓️ Saturday, August 16
🕖 2–6 PM
📍 Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
🔗 RSVP at bit.ly/WeKeepUsAlive

#EndTheDeathPenalty #NoMoreDeathRow #19YearsWithout #wekeepusalive
📢 WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT 📢 Only 5 more days 📢 WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT 📢

Only 5 more days until We Keep Us Alive! We're thrilled to share the workshop line-up for this Saturday. Have a look at the incredible sessions you'll be able to choose from and don't forget to save your spot by registering today.

📅 Saturday, August 16, 2-6 PM
📍 Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC
🔗 RSVP for free today at bit.ly/WeKeepUsAlive
These lines come from "The Executioner's Book of P These lines come from "The Executioner's Book of Prayer," a searing poetic series by Kat Bodrie of Bramble Press. This work explores the grief, rage, faith, and helplessness that surround the death penalty.

We're honored to share Kat's poetry with permission, and even more honored to welcome her in person on August 16 for We Keep Us Alive, where she will share her work.

Kat is a poet, writer, and freelance editor based in Winston-Salem. Her writing speaks to the raw and complicated emotions that live within this movement. She frequently collaborates with George T. Wilkerson, who lives on North Carolina's death row.

Read more of her writing at brambleonline.com
Join us August 16: bit.ly/WeKeepUsAlive
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