‘20 Years Stolen’: Minnesota demands justice for Cornelius Jackson and all of the wrongfully incarcerated and over-sentenced.
by Ben Golden
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- On May 28, the Wrongfully Incarcerated and Over-sentenced Families Council of Minnesota (WIAOFC-MN) held a rally and dropped banners over a busy highway during rush hour traffic. The bannering was held to recognize 20 years since the wrongful incarceration of Cornelius Jackson, who, at the age of 19, was sentenced to life-without-parole in prison for a crime that he did not commit. The banners read, “Free them all, from MN to Palestine!”, and “After 20 years, still human, still worthy, give second chances! #FreeCorn”.
Alissa Washington, founder of the WIAOFC-MN, has been fighting for years to free her fiancée Cornelius Jackson from prison. Her activism has grown in the past six years, as she now works to free not only Cornelius, but all of the Black people that have fallen victim to the Minnesota justice system. WIAOFC-MN advocates for the case of Nico Redding, a 72 year-old man who is still imprisoned 20 years after his scheduled release date-without valid reason.
Washington delivered one of her famously passionate and empowering speeches at the rally, as she explained to the crowd the type of person Cornelius Jackson is:
“Twenty years is enough time to build a career, start a family, buy a home, and create a life. Instead, Cornelius spent those years fighting to survive a system that too often values convictions over truth. But today is not only about what has been taken from him. It is also about who he is. Cornelius is not a case number. He is not a statistic. He is not disposable. He is a son, He is a father. He is a fiancée. He is a scholar. He is a mentor. He is a leader.”
Explaining that despite being incarcerated for nearly his entire adulthood, Cornelius refused to be defined by the fact that he was imprisoned. “He recently graduated from Minneapolis College with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts, and was selected by his classmates to deliver the class speech- a reflection of the respect he has earned from those around him.”
Washington also called out the hypocrisy of Minnesota governor candidate Amy Klobuchar, who was the Hennepin County Attorney at the time of Cornelius’ conviction, going on to say, “Today, Amy Klobuchar and many others speak about criminal justice reform, redemption, and second chances. But where was that belief in redemption when a 19-year-old Black teenager was sentenced to die in prison? Where was the belief that young people can grow… that people deserve a second chance? Accountability should not mean a teenager spending the rest of his natural life behind bars. Accountability should not mean condemning someone to die in prison because they were present at a crime scene and failed to report what happened involving a 16 year-old friend.”
Over 30 organizers and supporters of the WIAOFC-MN stood on the Washington Avenue bridge on May 28, holding signs that said “Free Cornelius Jackson”, “Free Nico Redding”, and “Free The Innocent”. There were also protest signs that said “ICE Out Now” and “No War With Iran”, recognizing that the U.S. military, federal agencies, and the incarceration system are all connected entities that work to oppress and murder the working class of the world. The protestors chanted, “Free Corn!”, and “Black lives, they matter here!” as passing cars honked their support. Commuters were able to read the banners on their evening drives home, and supportive honks could be heard from the highway below.
Washington ended the rally by reminding everyone of why they were there: “Twenty years is too long. Twenty years stolen. Twenty years of resilience. Twenty years of resistance. FREE CORNELIUS JACKSON!”