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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
    • Commutations Campaign
  • 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
  • 20 Years With No Executions
  • Blog
  • The Pledge
  • Get Involved
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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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You are warmly invited to join the NC Coalition fo You are warmly invited to join the NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty for a screening of Racist Roots, a 25-minute film that uncovers the deep entanglement between white supremacy, racial terror lynching, and North Carolina's death penalty.

Following the film, hear from Niconda Garcia, the founder of Change the Rubric, whose life has been shaped by having a close relationship with someone on death row and losing a family member to homicide.

This event is free and open to the public. Racist Roots is a project of the Center for Death Penalty Litigation.

Where: Asheville Friends Meeting, Second Hour Program, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC 28804
When: Sunday, July 19, 12–1:30 PM

Register at bit.ly/AshevilleFriendsRR
Get mobilized! Join us this evening over Zoom for Get mobilized! Join us this evening over Zoom for Death Penalty 101. You'll learn about North Carolina's capital punishment system, NCCADP's work to end it, and how to get involved in the abolition movement. We hope to see you there! 

What: Death Penalty 101 Information Session
When: Monday, June 29, 7–8 PM
Where: Register for the Zoom link at bit.ly/NCCADPJune2026 or at the link in our bio
Come on out to Durham Central Park this evening, J Come on out to Durham Central Park this evening, June 26th, from 4–8 PM for ACLU of North Carolina's Interdependence Day event! We'll be there – come say hi! 

Interdependence Day is a people-powered evening of art, action, and community. Come do something. Come make something. Come meet your people. 

Learn more at the link in our bio.
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