For Immediate Release

MEDIA CONTACT: Troy Blackwell, 646.828.0844

troy.blackwell@berlinrosen.com

Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, issued the following statement demanding that after twenty-four years of wrongful incarceration, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, NC Attorney General Josh Stein, and District Attorney Kimberly Robb free Dontae Sharpe, a Black man that has been incarcerated for a crime he did not commit.

Scott Roberts, Senior Campaign Director at Color Of Change:

“Dontae Sharpe was wrongfully incarcerated at 19-years-old in North Carolina and unfortunately has spent 24 years of his life in prison. Dontae’s case is a tragic example of the deep-rooted moral corruption of our criminal justice system where prosecutors and police can exploit racism and inequality to try and extract guilt from innocent people. Now that new evidence has been uncovered, there is a significant chance to finally reunite Dontae with his family. Governor Cooper, Attorney General Stein, and District Attorney Robb have an obligation to do the right thing and overturn this wrongful conviction.

 

Color Of Change is releasing a new video this week featuring Sarah Blakely, Dontae Sharpe’s mother, telling the story of how she’s fought for her son’s freedom for the past 24 years. The video highlights not only the injustice of Dontae’s imprisonment, but also the trauma and suffering mass incarceration inflicts on the families of incarcerated people, especially many Black women left caring for families while also leading the fight to free their loved ones. Color Of Change will continue to work with the North Carolina NAACP, Forward Justice, Spirithouse and the Sharpe Family in demanding Donate ’s release. ”