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St. Luke's Students Fight for Justice

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It all began with a campus visit from Anthony Ray Hinton, author of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Students and faculty were riveted by Hinton’s candid account of surviving three decades in prison for a crime he did not commit—somehow emerging with love in his heart.

Several students met up with Hinton a second time during St. Luke’s Civil Rights Study Tour in Georgia and Alabama. It was during this meeting that Hinton shared his need for an apology from the state of Alabama for his unjust incarceration. The students decided to start a petition demanding that apology.

Tasia Courts, a junior at St. Luke’s, helped create the petition on Change.org writing: “Thirty years were taken from an innocent man’s life, and he uses his story in order to effect change in the criminal justice system and prison industrial complex. The Black Student Union, and our non-black allies, of St. Luke’s School in New Canaan, Connecticut have been deeply touched by his story and activism. It is for these reasons that we demand a formal apology from the state of Alabama for the emotional and psychological trauma that Anthony Ray Hinton must struggle with every day as a result of his unjust imprisonment.”

Watch this interview with News 12 Connecticut reporter Mark Sudol to learn more from our students.

St. Luke’s is a diverse community with myriad viewpoints and a shared belief that an exceptional education means finding your voice and making a difference in the world—the motto of the school’s Center for Leadership.

Every year the school holds a Social Justice Leadership Summit (SJLS) for students and this year introduced a new SJLS designed for parents. St. Luke’s is also hosting the 2019 Student Diversity Leadership Conference sponsored by Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.

Photo Galleries: Anthony Ray Hinton Visits St. Luke’s,  News 12 Interview Photos.
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St. Luke’s School is a secular (non-religious), private school in New Canaan, CT for grades 5 through 12 serving over 35 towns in Connecticut and New York. Our exceptional academics and diverse co-educational community foster students’ intellectual and ethical development and prepare them for top colleges. St. Luke’s Center for Leadership builds the commitment to serve and the confidence to lead.