Sight Magazine – Lifestory: Working at the “intersection of “faith and social justice”, Rev Cece Jones-Davis on the campaign that helped get Julius Jones off death row

RNS

Almost 4 years in the past, Rev Cece Jones-Davis, a Disciples of Christ minister in Oklahoma, put a put up on Fb saying a gathering for anybody within the case of Julius Jones, a death-row inmate at Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

Jones-Davis, who is not any relation to Julius Jones, solely knew what she’d lately seen in an ABC documentary about prisoners whose convictions are extensively questioned. The title of her Fb put up was “The place can we go from right here?”

Julius Jones’ sister, Antoinette, remembers considering, “Who is that this girl?”

Rev Cece Jones-Davis throughout an occasion in assist of Julius Jones in Novermber, 2021, in Oklahoma Metropolis. PICTURE: Courtesy photograph

Her brother, now 41, had already been on loss of life row for 20 years, regardless of shaky DNA proof and his public defender’s admission that he had badly misrepresented Jones at his trial.

Among the many lawyer’s missteps was not permitting Jones to provide his alibi: He and his household preserve that Jones, then an athlete attending the College of Oklahoma on an instructional scholarship, was at residence sharing a dinner of spaghetti and cornbread the evening Paul Howell was murdered throughout a carjacking outdoors his dad and mom’ residence in Edmond.

“Since my time in seminary, I knew, I felt very deeply that I wasn’t on a conventional ministry monitor. Whether or not it was with HIV/AIDS advocacy, whether or not it was ladies and ladies’ points, whether or not it was racial justice and now felony justice reform, I’ve at all times labored on the intersection of religion and social justice.”

– Rev Cece Jones-Davis

However Antoinette and different Jones relations have been among the many 30 individuals who confirmed up at a church in an Oklahoma Metropolis suburb in response to Jones-Davis’ invitation, alongside along with his legal professionals and others who believed he was wrongfully convicted.

Jones-Davis left the assembly satisfied there was extra to be finished however didn’t know precisely how you can proceed. However after relieving her babysitter and permitting her daughter to choose a restaurant for dinner, they ended up on the identical place because the Jones household. After they left, her server advised her that they paid for her meal in gratitude for her calling the assembly.

“It was one thing about that humble gesture,” stated Jones-Davis, who referred to as it a “affirmation from God” that she was to proceed to assist them.

A graduate of Yale Divinity College, Jones-Davis had lengthy recognized that main a church was not her calling.

“Since my time in seminary, I knew, I felt very deeply that I wasn’t on a conventional ministry monitor,” she stated. “Whether or not it was with HIV/AIDS advocacy, whether or not it was ladies and ladies’ points, whether or not it was racial justice and now felony justice reform, I’ve at all times labored on the intersection of religion and social justice.”

In biographical sketches about her, Jones-Davis lists “singer” amongst her credentials, generally saying music is her ministry. (Whereas in New Haven she additionally studied on the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.) Her resume additionally features a stint as a particular assistant to the US commerce consultant beneath President Obama.

However by the point she grew to become curious about Julius Jones, Jones-Davis was a stay-at-home mother in Edmond, outdoors Oklahoma Metropolis. As she realized extra in regards to the case, she described waking up every morning “newly enraged about what was taking place to Julius and his household,” prompting her to arrange extra group packages, begin a social media plan, or meet with one other legislator.

“I didn’t have a felony justice background; I wasn’t a lawyer,” she stated. “What we did was, we dedicated to doing one thing.”

Supporters of Julius Jones, who has been on loss of life row in Oklahoma for 20 years, march to the places of work of the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, on Thursday, twenty fifth February, 2021, in Oklahoma Metropolis, the place they introduced a petition with over 6.2 million signatures, calling for Jones’ loss of life sentence to be commuted. Rev Cece Jones-Davis, far proper, helps carry the march banner. PICTURE: AP Photograph/Sue Ogrocki/File photograph.

Quickly after the primary assembly, she based the Julius Jones Coalition and set about rallying celebrities, authorized minds and abnormal Oklahomans to make noise in regards to the holes within the case towards Jones.

Two individuals concerned within the case have since signed sworn affidavits that Jones was not liable for the crime, and his main accuser is the person Jones’ legal team says is the murderer. Jones’ arresting officer used the n-word and dared him to run, implying he’d be shot. A juror in his trial reportedly used the identical slur and recommended that Jones should be taken out and shot.

The marketing campaign she ran on Jones’ behalf began with a Change.org petition and finally enlisted Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, NBA participant Russell Westbrook and actress Kerry Washington to talk up on social media. A retired Minnesota counselor who joined the marketing campaign recruited Kim Kardashian by sending her dozens of letters. Kardashian West visited Jones in jail in 2020.

Change.org introduced in December that the Justice for Julius petition was the primary of its “Top Ten Petitions that Changed 2021“. Greater than 6.5 million have signed it.

The marketing campaign put boots on the bottom as nicely, main marches, corresponding to one, with Jones-Davis utilizing a megaphone, to ship petitions by hand to the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.

Jones, in a recording handed alongside by his sister, advised Faith Information Service that Jones-Davis is “a power of nature.”

“She has helped transfer mountains that I’m undecided we even thought could possibly be moved.”

To make up for her lack of expertise in this type of activism, Jones-Davis significantly leaned on two veteran racial justice activists for his or her experience and ethical assist, Rev Traci Blackmon, the United Church of Christ’s affiliate normal minister of justice, and Pastor Mike McBride, nationwide director of Reside Free USA, a felony justice reform group. Each had been concerned within the response to the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

As well as, Jones-Davis stated she additionally relied closely on prayer, typically holding weekly prayer conferences on Tuesday nights.

“We understood that this was a God-sized downside and that we actually wanted God in a really determined method right here,” she stated, “and so we talked to God an terrible lot.”

In September, and once more in November, the Oklahoma parole board voted in favor of Jones’ request that his loss of life sentence be commuted to life in jail with the potential of parole.

On 18th November, hours earlier than Jones was slated to die, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt introduced that Jones would serve life in jail as an alternative.

“After prayerful consideration and reviewing supplies introduced by all sides of this case, I’ve decided to commute Julius Jones’ sentence to life imprisonment with out the potential of parole,” stated the Governor’s statement.

Pastor Mike McBride speaks throughout an occasion in assist of Julius Jones in November, 2021 in Oklahoma. PICTURE: Courtesy photograph

On the day earlier than Jones’ execution was scheduled, McBride drove his household, accompanied within the automobile by Jones-Davis, to the jail for what his family thought can be their final go to. Jones-Davis had agreed to affix his sister Antoinette to watch his anticipated execution. Now, past her pure household that features her dad and mom and two brothers, Antoinette Jones says, “God blessed me with a giant sister named Cece Jones-Davis.”

The following day, Blackmon was sitting in a restaurant close to the jail with the Jones household and Jones-Davis after they obtained the decision that Julius’ life had been spared.

Jones-Davis has nonetheless by no means met Jones in particular person. She advised RNS in March that she didn’t intend to see him till he was not behind bars.

“I’m planning to be there when he walks out of these gates and to see him for the primary time, make eye contact, that’s my hope, that’s my plan, however till then I don’t have to go go to,” she stated. “I can look ahead to him to come back out.”

Blackmon was stunned when she realized that her colleague hadn’t met Jones.

“That’s the essence of embodied religion, that it’s about Julius Jones nevertheless it’s not about Julius Jones,” stated Blackmon. “It’s about being pushed by one’s religion to assist whoever is in want. It’s the whosoever of the Gospel.”

Jones-Davis and different supporters say they are going to proceed working for Jones’ full exoneration. “We all know what the governor’s government order says, however religion has introduced us secure this far and religion goes to guide us on,” she stated. “I don’t consider Julius Jones goes to be in jail for the remainder of his life.”

In December, she and McBride met with White Home staffers as they continued to petition the Biden administration to finish federal capital punishment.

Jones-Davis additionally stated there wanted to be a while for relaxation, self-care and reflection.

“These final three years I’ve been so targeted on holding on to Julius and ensuring that the system didn’t eat him alive, that I needed to let go of one thing as a way to maintain on to him so tight,” she stated, “and that one thing that I let go of was myself.”

Different Jones supporters are likewise nonetheless recovering from the “hell on wheels” throughout that week in mid-November – when they didn’t know if Jones would dwell or die – earlier than they’ll absolutely decide their future work.

“We’re simply all making an attempt to get ourselves collectively and determine what’s subsequent,” she stated.

Oklahoma activist and religion chief Cece Jones-Davis, middle, with household and supporters of Julius Jones, Thursday, on twenty fifth February, 2021, in Oklahoma Metropolis. At left is Madeline Davis-Jones, the mom of Julius Jones. PICTURE: Courtesy photograph.

Jones-Davis acknowledges the prices, together with misplaced time along with her household over three years, “perhaps not bodily however positively emotionally, positively psychologically on some days.”

However she stated she would do all of it once more.

“The final rule is that you simply obey God and also you let the results fall as they might,” she stated. “The attractive final result in itself is obeying God.”

As Oklahoma Metropolis marked Martin Luther King Jr Day final month, Jones-Davis was a marshal of its parade, honored for her profitable work to get Julius Jones off loss of life row.

On that event, like many over the past a number of years, she was emphasizing Jones’ household, inviting Jones’ mom to affix her within the stretch Hummer. They stepped out and greeted the parade watchers, a few of whom wore “Justice for Julius” shirts or bracelets with the identical message.

“I took that chance to actually thank individuals within the crowd for his or her assist of Julius Jones,” Jones-Davis stated, “and to allow them to know that we nonetheless have a methods to go and to stick with us, stick with the Jones household, stick with Julius Jones.”