By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The case of Stanley “Tookie” Williams made national headlines and sparked yet another call for a moratorium on the death penalty.

For African Americans the argument against the death penalty expands to point out inequities in conviction rates and institutionalized racism within the criminal justice system.

The OBSERVER takes a look into the number of African Americans who have faced execution across the country since 1999. In most of the cases, the victims were White and the defendants were convicted by all-White juries. Some proclaim their innocence and others simply don’t want to die.

	Mumia Abu Jamal Sentence thrown out: December 2001 State: Pennsylvania Perhaps the most famous of Black death row inmates, Abu-Jamal was sentenced to death for the 1981 shooting of a Philadelphia police officer. He maintains his innocence and although a judge threw out his death sentence, he hasn’t been given a new trial and he remains on death row.
	Wanda Jean Allen, 41 Executed: January 11, 2001 State: Oklahoma Allen was convicted of the 1988 shooting death of her lesbian lover. Had previously been convicted of manslaughter. Lawyers argued she was borderline retarded and shouldn’t be put to death. Their failed attempts to save her life were the subject of an HBO documentary, “The Execution of Wanda Jean.”
	Manuel Babbitt Executed: May 4, 1999 State: California The Sacramento man spent nearly 17 years on death row. On December 19, 1980, Babbitt broke into a South Sacramento apartment and robbed, beat and sexually assaulted a 78-year-old woman. The woman died of a heart attack. Within 24 hours, Babbitt attempted to rape another woman.
	Robert Bacon, Jr. Executed: May 18, 2001 State: North Carolina Bacon was sentenced to death for the 1987 murder of his White girlfriend’s estranged husband. The girlfriend was also convicted of first degree murder for manipulating Bacon, but received life in prison. Members of the all-White jury reportedly admitted that their disapproval of the interracial dating impacted their decision.
	Marcus Carter, 37 Execution halted: November 21, 2000 State: North Carolina Hours before Carter was set die Gov. Jim Hunt commuted his sentence to life without parole. He was convicted of a 1989 murder and attempted rape. His first trial ended in a hung jury and he represented himself in the second.
	Kevin Cooper, 47 Execution stopped: February 10, 2004 State: California A federal appeals court issued a stay less than eight hours before his execution at San Quentin. The stay was issued to allow for investigation of evidence that could prove Cooper’s innocence. Cooper was convicted of a 1983 quadruple murder in San Bernadino County. He says he was framed.
	Willie Ervin Fisher, 39 Executed: March 9, 2001 State: North Carolina Fisher was convicted of killing his girlfriend in 1992 while high on alcohol and crack. Fisher, who’s lawyer was subsequently disbarred, received a stay before his scheduled execution. The North Carolina Supreme Court lifted it and the execution, originally set for 2:00 a.m., was carried out at 9:00 p.m.
	Gary Graham, 38 Executed: June 22, 2000 State: Texas Graham spent 19 years on death row for the 1981 murder of a grocery store clerk. One witness chose the 17-year-old from a photo lineup while others gave a different description. Previous execution dates in 1993 and 1999 were delayed but then Gov. George W. Bush refused to step in.
	Madison Hobley and Aaron Patterson Pardoned: January 10, 2003 State: Illinois Patterson spent 17 years on death row before Illinois’ governor freed him. He says Chicago officers tortured him into confessing to a double murder. Mobley says he was also beaten and blamed for the fire that killed wife, son and five others. Leroy Orange and Stanley Howard were also released.
	Walter Mickens, Jr. 47 Executed: June 12, 2002 State: Virginia In 1993, Mickens, was sentenced to death for the murder and forcible sodomy of a White teenaged boy. Two years later, the United States Supreme Court vacated his death sentence because of a jury instruction error. A new hearing resulted in another death sentence.
	Thomas Nevius Sentence commuted: 2002 State: Nevada The Nevada Pardons Board voted to grant clemency to Nevius, said to have the mentality of a preteen. Convicted of murdering a man and sexually assaulting his daughter during a robbery. Nevius’ sentence was changed to two no-parole life sentences after U.S. Supreme Court ban on executing the mentally retarded.
	Frances Newton, 40, Executed: September 14, 2005 State: Texas After 17 years on death row, Newton became the first Black woman executed in Texas since 1903. Convicted of 1987 shooting deaths of her husband and two children. Prosecutors said $100,000 in insurance was motive but Newton claimed innocence. Originally set to die in 2004, but got reprieve from governor.
	Kelsey Patterson Executed: May 18, 2000 State: Texas Convicted of the 1992 double murder of a White business owner and his secretary. His guilt wasn’t the issue, but rather, should a man with noted mental illness be put to death. Patterson was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1981.
	Bobby Lee Ramdass Executed: October 10, 2000 State: Virginia Ramdass was sentenced to death in June 1990 for the robbery and murder of a 7-Eleven store clerk.Days later he shot a cab driver. Attorneys didn’t dispute his guilt, just a technical instruction to the jury. They had hoped to get a more favorable sentence from a second jury.
	Michael Earl Sexton Executed: November 9, 2000 State: North Carolina At age 23, Sexton was convicted of August 1990 kidnap, rape and murder of a social worker employed at the hospital where he worked. On death row since 1991. Defense argued that his background of abandonment and abuse led to his violent behavior. The governor refused to stay his execution.
	Russell Tucker Execution stayed: November 28, 2000 State: North Carolina Tucker’s execution was stayed by the North Carolina Supreme Court. He had been scheduled to die on December 7, 2000 for a 1995 murder in Forsyth County.
	Lonnie Weeks, Jr. Executed: March 16, 2000 State: Virginia In 1993, a 21-year-old Weeks stole the car of an incarcerated acquaintance. He drove to Washington, D.C. and was later pulled over for speeding. When a State Trooper asked him to exit the car, he panicked and shot him. He expressed remorse and his victim’s children spoke against his execution.