(SAVANNAH, GA) As Troy Davis continues to sit on death row for the murder of Savannah Police Officer Mark MacPhail more than 20 years ago, his nephew travels the world, speaking out against the death penalty.
At just 15-years-old, he’s been to places most will never see and spoken to world leaders most will never meet.
Antone Davis-Correia was 13-years-old when he learned his uncle was on death row for murder, “I just went silent. I really didn’t know what it was, or how the place was, how it could affect me or him,” he said.
Now 15-years-old, the teen is far from quiet, campaigning on behalf of Troy Anthony Davis. He’s appeared on CNN, Black Entertainment Television (BET), and more recently visited the British Parliament. Davis-Correia said, “I think it’s just a blessing from God that he gave me the ability to be able to speak in front of large crowds.”
Meanwhile Mark MacPhail Jr., the son of Officer Mark MacPhail, whom Troy Davis is convicted of murdering, is just beginning his campaign to keep Troy Davis from seeing a new trial. He spoke out for the first time on a local level last August.
The two young men now face tough issues dealing with life and death 20 years after MacPhail was gunned down in Savannah; it’s a job that didn’t always come easy to sophomore in high school Davis-Correia, “People would come at me and say ‘You have to do it this way,’ then my mom would say ‘No, you have to do it this way’ then somebody would say ‘No, do it this way, do that way, do this way,” the 13-year-old said. However, Antone Davis-Correia found his own rhythm and the invitations to speak continue to roll in.
He is expected to speak before the World Congress in Geneva Switzerland and also spends time speaking to other students like himself, “Telling people the important of being in the right place at the right time, picking your friends wisely,” are just some of the topics he enjoys talking about with his peers.
Campaigning to keep his uncle alive is a challenge the teen wishes he didn’t have to face, yet one he’s decided to face head on.
