I knew Troy Davis.

We both attended Windsor Forest High School in Savannah, GA. My family moved to Savannah after 2 stints in Mannheim Germany.

The thing about Troy isn't that he stood out in any way. He wasn't a jock, wasn't the most popluar, wasn't a nerd or even a troublemaker. He was a regular guy. Not at all the type of guy that comes to mind when you hear the words cop killer. Actually, had the tragic events of that faithful night never went down, I doubt anyone outside of Savannah, let alone the rest of the world would have ever heard of Troy Davis... He was just a regular dude... and Savannah, GA is filled of them.

I intro with that, not as a diss, to give you an idea of the shock and awe many people who knew him felt when we first heard about this case. TROY DAVIS SHOT A COP? It was like ARE YOU F****** KIDDING ME? TROY? TROY DAVIS?

Savannah, GA is not a big city. Its one of those towns where you are defined by where you went to high school. Windsor Forest was in the burbs. Most black students were bused in, (I wasn't, I lived in the burbs) so when you mention Troy Davis who went to Windsor, people know exactly who you're talking about. Savannah, GA is like any other typical southern town, you got your haves and your have nots, whether black or white. Other than school, work or at the skating rink the two sides didn't mix or mingle... and blacks and whites didn't really mix, regardless of economic background.

You have to understand the climate to get a better understanding of the culture of the city... when you do, it really comes as no surprise that 7 of 9 witness who said they saw Troy Davis shoot Officer MacPhail later recanted their testimony, claiming they were pressured by the police during their initial identifications. White Officer killed by black suspect... they don't have to call you Mr. Tibbs for you to know where that was going... despite the lack of physical evidence. No gun. No dna, nada.

People ask how could the case have gone that far, like really, how did we end up here... again, I point to the climate not only in in Savannah but throughout Chatham County...and I'm not talking weather. The Good Old Boys... but its not just the good old boys, you also have to point the finger at the black bourgeoisie who do their bidding... several of which are on GA Parole Board, not to mention US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas who carried the water for the Supreme Court by denying a petition to grant Davis a last ditch stay of execution. The same Clarence Thomas who 'coincidentially' is also from Chatham County.

Thomas denied the petition with no explaination, only saying that the petition was denied. What the world witnessed with the Troy Davis case is small town corruption that extends all the way up the United States Supreme Court.... everybody in Savannah, GA knows.... and now the world knows, but not the extent....yet.


This brotha breaks it down for Democracy Now
(forward clip and watch from 216:17-222:00)


^^^
That's how.

Troy Davis professed his innocence to the end, his last words:

“I am innocent. The incident that happened that night was not my fault,” “I personally did not have a gun. I was not the one who took the life of your father, son, brother.”

... and then to prison officials. “For those about to take my life, may God have mercy on your souls. May God bless your souls.”

What I remember most about Troy is his smile. What the world should remember, especially those here in the US is that this could happen to any of us... any regular joe or jane.




Rest In Power my fellow Windsor Forest Knight!

- B
"I'm outspoken, my language is broken into a slang,
but that's just a dialect that I select when I hang"
"I Got It Made", Special Ed