William Potts, also known as Lieutenant Spartacus or William Freeman, was a former member of the Black Panther Party who was charged with hijacking a Piedmont Airlines flight in 1984. Potts left his aunt’s home in New Jersey that March with $120 she had given him to pay her electric bill. Instead, Potts bought a […]
Leo Branton, Jr. was the African American lawyer responsible for the acquittal of activist Angela Davis in 1972. Davis was on trial for murder, kidnapping and conspiracy. Branton was up against an all-white jury. The WWII veteran had served as counsel for Nat King Cole, Dorothy Dandridge, the estate of Jimi Hendrix and the Black […]
Edwin Eddie Ellis served 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, but he never let that get in the way of living a life of purpose. In prison, Ellis became an advocate for prison education and, following his release, went on to have a distinguished career and helped other formerly incarcerated […]
