A half dozen men living in Greater Cleveland have a special brotherhood: They all were accused and convicted of crimes they maintain they never committed.
Several have been exonerated. Two men are still fighting for that designation now that they are out of prison after taking a plea or receiving parole.
As part of Voices of Injustice, they are raising awareness about wrongful convictions and taking their stories to the stage.
鈥淚t's a part of the healing journey,鈥� said Al Cleveland. 鈥淲hen you use the arts to express yourself, it's more about the expression. You have to remember, like we came from a place that tries to take that from you.鈥�
Cleveland is directing their upcoming theatrical production, 鈥淭he Lynched Among Us,鈥� which focuses on some of their personal stories.
鈥淲e did some research, and we saw some striking similarities between wrongful convictions and the lynchings from back in the early 1800s and 1900s,鈥� Cleveland said.
Turning to theater
At a recent rehearsal, Cleveland and the cast ran through scenes from Michael Sutton鈥檚 life story.
In 2007, Sutton was about to head to college at the University of Akron before he was convicted of a murder he didn鈥檛 commit. Police arrested him at his high school graduation.
After 15 years in prison, his conviction was overturned with the help of the Ohio Innocence Project. The court found evidence had been withheld from his trial.
鈥淢any of the men who have been injured by a wrongful conviction, they鈥檝e had evidence hidden from them, false accusations hurled against them,鈥� Cleveland said.
While many may recall Sutton鈥檚 story 鈥� and others like it 鈥� from the headlines, the play offers a way for the men to reclaim their own life stories.
Charles Jackson is acting for the first time to play himself and eager to share a major twist in his life story.
鈥淓verybody thought that, like, I was a killer, when in fact at the end of the day I save my nephew鈥檚 life by donating my kidney,鈥� Jackson said.
Jackson learned he was a match for his nephew after he was released from prison, where he spent 27 years for a murder he didn鈥檛 commit. He was exonerated in 2022.
鈥淭hank God that I got out,鈥� he said.
Unseen issues
Exoneration is often portrayed in the media with jubilant photos and interviews as people leave the courtroom. The days that follow outside of public view aren鈥檛 necessarily as joyful.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just my wrongful conviction. This is my family's as well,鈥� Jackson said. 鈥淚 lost several family members throughout this. And when I came home, I came home to a whole new world.鈥�
While the men in Voices of Injustice want to share their stories, it can be difficult to speak publicly and express how trying wrongful conviction has been on their families.
鈥淸You鈥檙e] just releasing a lot of trauma that's been built up for so many years,鈥� said Laurese Glover, who spent 20 years in prison for a crime he didn鈥檛 commit. 鈥淎t times, like talking about certain subjects, other wrongful convictions, it can get a little emotional.鈥�
Voices of Injustice aims to bring about change in the community by sharing personal stories in a variety of ways. For instance, members of the group spoke recently to a class of law students about things like prosecutorial immunity and hurdles to receiving compensation for wrongful conviction. At a recent voter registration event, members spoke about the importance of paying attention to judicial races and how being a registered voter makes someone eligible to serve on a jury.
Voices of Injustice is also already planning additional theater shows to share more members鈥� stories.
鈥淲e feel like that the theatrical part of it makes you be with the story,鈥� said Ru-El Sailor, who intends to play himself in a future production.
Sailor was exonerated in 2022 and now has his own clothing line.
鈥淚 feel like God gave me a purpose by setting me free, because he knew that I was going to speak about the ones just left behind,鈥� Sailor said.
Voices of Injustice presents 鈥淭he Lynched Among Us鈥� at Cleveland State University College of Law October 11 at 7 p.m.