Alternative Spring Breaks are designed to give college and high school students something more meaningful to do during their week off, rather than just spending time at the beach or sitting at home catching up on school work. The specific purpose of the Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is to bring students togetherfor five days of anti-death penalty activism, education and fun. This is the place to be if you want to become a part of the next generation of human rights leaders. Go to the beach to change your state of mind for a week, come here to change the world forever
We will provide participants with workshops led by experienced, knowledgeable presenters who will teach them skills that they can use to go back home and set up new anti-death penalty student organizations or improve ones that may already exist. The skills participants will learn can also be used in other issues besides the death penalty. Students will gain valuable training and experience in grassroots organizing, lobbying, preparing a public rally and media relations. During the week, students will immediately put what they learn into action during activities such as a Death Penalty Issues Lobby Day and a public rally at the Texas Capitol. There will be opportunities to write press releases, speak in public, meet with legislators or their aides, and carry out a public rally.
In your free time, Austin has a lot to offer for fun, including the SXSW film, music and interactive festival that takes place the same week as our alternative spring break.
Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break, March 15-19, 2010
Join us March 15-19, 2010 in Austin, Texas for the award-winning Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break. It starts at 4:30 PM on Monday, March 15. The location is the Jesse H. Jones Communication Center - CMA room 3.112 on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. CMA is on the corner of Whitis Avenue and Dean Keeton, (Google Map). The room is located on the entrance level of the building.
Special guests will be six innocent death row exoneress: Shujaa Graham, Curtis McCarty, Ron Keine, Derrick Jamison, Perry Cobb and Juan Melendez. They are attending alternative spring break to speak with participants about how innocent people can end up on death row. Altogether, the six exonerees attending the alternative spring break spent a total of about 65 years on death row for crimes they did not commit.
It's free, except for a $25 housing fee for those who need us to arrange housing for you. We will house you in a shared room with other spring breakers in either a hotel or dorm. You are responsible for your travel, food and other expenses, but the program and most of the housing costs are on us. The $25 housing fee is all you pay. Register here.
Pictured are Shujaa Graham, Ron Keine and Curtis McCarty, three innocent people exonerated and released from death row. They are coming to the alternative spring break. Are you?
This video contains footage of the trip to Huntsville to protest an execution, including the students outside the prison and a clip of former death row chaplain Carroll Pickett speaking to the students.
Below is a video of the Peoples' Tribunal Against the Death Penalty organized by participants in the 2008 Alternative Spring Break. This is part one of four. The other parts can be found on YouTube.
Below is a video of the 2005 Alternative Spring Break. It was produced and directed by Sarah Garrahan, who attended spring break that year.
What People are Saying
"
This is an historical echo to what happened in 1964 when people came down to the South during the Civil Rights Movement to register people to vote - what was called Freedom Summer. This is similar to what was going on back then, but here the issue is organizing against the death penalty. We invite people from across the nation and across Texas to come to Austin to learn about the injustice of the death penalty, train to take action to oppose executions and gain experience actually taking action
" - Scott Cobb, president Texas Moratorium Network
"I attended the TMN sponsored spring break as a junior in high school in2005. I had just found out about it via the internet/website and followup with a call. The person who answered the call was Scott Cobb. Hearranged for me to ride along with another person to Austin. The SB wassponsored and coordinated very professionally—we stayed in UT dormswith a well-planned daily agenda. Everything I know about lobbyingsomeone for a cause, press releases, media coverage, recruiting peopleto join a cause—I learned within the intense week. It also gave me afantastic opportunity to participate in the Texas legislative/politicalprocess, an experience I would never have had. I also became familiarwith an amazing group of people, who were willing to work sopassionately for a cause they believed in. Currently, I am taking ayear away from my undergraduate studies to purse development,sustainable energy and social empowerment project in Pakistan as aClinton Fellow. In management of my projects, I draw upon similar ideasand practices I learned from the spring break event. I have never hada second opportunity to purse in such an amazing spring break eventsince—I will keep this on my agenda for 2011 spring, however!"
AmbreenRahman, who attended the 2005 alternative spring break as a high school junior. She is now a student at Columbia University in New York City, but is taking a yearoff from school to volunteer to bring solar energy lights to women in rural Pakistan. She was a Clinton Global Initiative University Fellow for 2008 and 2009.
"I wanted to do something more meaningful during my Spring Break. I figured this would be the place where I could do that."
Chaunte Sterling, graduate of Sam Houston State University, who attended the 2005 alternative spring break in her senior year.
"We all had a simple understanding of the problems with the death penalty and after coming here, we've learned so much in detail about what goes on with capital punishment," Martellaro said. "It's just been so educational, because we all are in agreement that it is wrong and there are problems with the system, and this has been so specific, with so much information, that it really strengthened my beliefs."
Angela Martellaro, high school student from Shawnee, Kansas, who attended the 2006 alternative spring break.
"Students and youth have played a critical role in every major struggle for civil and human rights in this nation. Ending the abomination of capital punishment is the calling of this generation. Just as before, student activists will likely determine the future of this issue. You must be part of the debate and the action."
Diann Rust-Tierney, Executive Director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
"Participants will have plenty of free time to meet new friends, see the sights of Austin, and take in a couple of SXSW events if they want to. At the same time they're having fun, they're doing something positive by taking action on one of the major human rights issues of our time"
Hooman Hedayati, sophomore at UT-Austin and president of Texas Students Against the Death Penalty, who attended alternative spring break in 2005 as a high school senior.
Photos of Spring Breakers in Action
Spring Breakers Protesting an Execution in Huntsville - 2006
Spring Breakers Visiting the Office of a Texas State Legislator - 2007
Alternative Spring Breaks are designed to give college and high school students something more meaningful to do during their week off, rather than just spending time at the beach or sitting at home catching up on school work. The specific purpose of the Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break is to bring students together
We have an event page on FaceBook. We also have a Facebook group Students Against the Death Penalty and a Facebook fan page . Students Against the Death Penalty also has a website.
