One week after the first African-American was elected President of the United States, two African-Americans are set to be executed in Texas this week. 40 percent of the people on death row in Texas are black, although blacks comprise only 11.9 percent of the Texas population. According to the TDCJ website, of the thirteen executions starting with the last one, Elkie Taylor, until March 11, 2009, all the people scheduled for execution in Texas are either African-American (8) or Hispanic (5).

For more information on the issue of race and the death penalty, visit this page at the Death Penalty Information Center.

George Whitaker III Nov 12
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles unanimously voted Monday to turn down George Whitaker’s request for a reprieve. The board dismissed Whitaker’s appeal in which he argued that jurors should have been told that he only would be eligible for parole after he served 40 years in prison.

Denard Manns Nov 13
Manns is one of two executions scheduled for this week. If both go through, Manns will be the 17th death-row inmate executed in Texas this year. Last year Texas had 26 executions.

To send the Governor of Texas an email denouncing these executions, go to:
http://governor.state.tx.us/contact

You can also call and leave him a voice message:

Telephone numbers for Governor Rick Perry of Texas

* Citizen’s Opinion Hotline [for Texas callers] :
(800) 252-9600
* Information and Referral and Opinion Hotline [for Austin, Texas and out-of-state callers] :
(512) 463-1782
* Office of the Governor Main Switchboard [office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST] :
(512) 463-2000
* Citizen’s Assistance Telecommunications Device
If you are using a telecommunication device for the deaf (TDD),
call 711 to reach Relay Texas

* Office of the Governor Fax:
(512) 463-1849

Mailing Address

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Statewide Execution Vigils

Google Map

Huntsville – Corner of 12th Street and Avenue I (in front of the Walls Unit) at 5:00 p.m.

Austin – At the Texas Capitol on the sidewalk on 11th Street facing Congress Avenue from 5:30 to 6:30 PM.

Beaumont – Diocese of Beaumont, Diocesan Pastoral Office, 703 Archie St. @ 4:00 p.m. on the day of an execution.

College Station – 6 to 7 PM on execution days, corner of Texas Avenue and University Drive.

Corpus Christi – at 6 PM in front of Incarnate Word Convent at 2910 Alameda Street

Dallas – 5:30 pm, at the SMU Women’s Center, 3116 Fondren Drive

Houston – To learn location or if a stay has been granted before you come out, call Burnham Terrell, 713/921-0948.

Lewisville – St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 1897 W. Main Street. Peace & Justice Ministry conducts Vigils of Witness Against Capital Punishment at 6:00 pm on the day executions are scheduled in Texas.

McKinney – St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Community located at 110 St. Gabriel Way. We gather the last Sunday of the month, following the 11:00 Mass to pray for those men/women scheduled to be executed in the next month and to remember the victims, their families, and all lives touched, including us as a society.

San Antonio (Site 1) – Archdiocese of San Antonio, in the St. Joseph Chapel at the Chancery, 2718 W. Woodlawn Ave. (1 mile east of Bandera Rd.) at 11:30 a.m. on the day of execution. Broadcast on Catholic Television of San Antonio (Time-Warner cable channel 15) at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on the day of execution.

San Antonio (Site 2) – Main Plaza across from Bexar County Courthouse and San Fernando Cathedral – Noon

Spring – Prayer Vigil at 6 PM on evenings of executions at St Edward Catholic Community, 2601 Spring Stuebner Rd for the murder victim, for family and friends of the murder victim, the prison guards and correctional officers, for the family of the condemn man/woman, for the man/woman to be executed and to an end to the death penalty.

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