The Death Penalty Protects No One: What We Need Instead | World Day Against the Death Penalty 2025

The global theme for this year’s World Day Against the Death Penalty is rooted in decades of evidence. Quite simply, the death penalty protects no one.

Across the world, advocates are naming the truth that executions fail to deliver justice or safety. Here in North Carolina, we join that call with a clear-eyed look at how the death penalty harms our own communities, perpetuating racial injustice, re-traumatizing survivors, and siphoning resources away from the real solutions that prevent violence.

On October 11, we gather to oppose capital punishment and to commit to what comes next. Together, we will lift up the voices of survivors and community leaders who know firsthand that state violence does not build safety. We will dig into proven alternatives that move us closer to the just and safe communities every North Carolinian deserves – alternatives like violence prevention, re-entry services, and meaningful support for those impacted by crime.

We are honored to host Rafiah Muhammad-McCormick, Director of Community Outreach for Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and a dedicated victims’ advocate, as the keynote speaker.