The National Clemency and Criminal Justice Reform RadioThon will be held Friday, June 17 and will be broadcast live from WPFW from noon – 6 p.m. (ET) in Washington, DC, and accessible via the internet at http://www.wpfwfm.org/radio/.

 This RADIOTHON is scheduled 45 years after former President Richard Nixon declared drug abuse as “Public Enemy Number 1.” Shortly after his June 18, 1971 proclamation, the media popularized the term, “War on Drugs.” We now know that this “war on drugs” was a stratagem for criminalizing Black people and critics of the Viet Nam War, and has today resulted in the mass incarceration of over 2 million people. The purpose of this first-ever Justice RADIOTHON is two-fold: to spotlight and give voice to the men, women and families who have been impacted by mass incarceration, and examine various strategies in the criminal justice reform toolbox that can be used to provide relief, including:

• executive clemency
• legislative reform
• compassionate release
• judicial second look mechanisms
• reentry; eliminating adverse policies restricting jobs, housing & education

Co-Hosts: 1975 Clemency Recipient Roach Brown (host, Cross Roads) and Attorney Nkechi Taifa (convener Justice Roundtable coalition)

Host Station: WPFW Pacifica Radio 89.3FM

Hash Tag: #JusticeRADIOTHON

The half-day RadioThon will feature:

• Formerly Incarcerated People
• Children and family members of the Incarcerated
• Celebrities for Justice
• Criminal Justice Advocates
• Civil Rights Leaders
• Conservative Allies
• Faith Leaders
• Representatives from Executive, Legislative, Judicial branches
• Media Influencers
• Organizational Representatives
• Foundation Representatives

For the past 45 years the media has played a huge role in fanning the flames of the horrific war on drugs. We challenge the media and policymakers today to listen to the featured speakers in this RADIOTHON, and use the personal stories and educational information to be an important part of narrative change, with the goal of reuniting families and strengthening communities.