WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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On today’s edition of Bring It On!, the hosts are Clarence Boone and Liz Mitchell. They spend the hour with Bill Breeden, Minister Emeritus from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, Indiana. He was a minister to Corey Johnson and attended his execution.
On January 14, 2021, the federal government executed Corey Johnson, a death-row prisoner who likely was intellectually disabled, without affording him judicial review to determine his eligibility for the death penalty. He was the fifth federal prisoner executed in the transition period between Donald Trump’s defeat in the November 2020 presidential election and the scheduled inauguration of Joseph R. Biden on January 20, 2021.
Bill shared that Corey Johnson was one of the most amazing human beings he had ever known. He had been in solitary confinement for 29 years without a visitor, and was unable to read or write, but was a very peaceful, caring man. In those 29 years of solitary he was never written up by a guard for any infraction.
Bill, a long-time peace activist and prison minister is a past recipient of the Bloomington, Indiana Human Rights Award. This is remarkable considering Bill’s past. Bill professes to have overcome hatred and extreme prejudice to become the humble and loving individual he is today. In reflec
ting on his life and transformation, he considers himself to be “the luckiest guy on the planet, and he’d be willing to debate that with anyone.”
Credits:
Today’s host is Clarence Boone.
Bring It On’s Executive Producer is Clarence Boone.
Tonight’s Assistant Producer is Liz Mitchell.
Show Consultant and WFHB News Department Director is Kade Young.
Program Engineer is Chantalle LaFontant.
The original theme music was created by Jamyl Efiom, with additional background tracks by David Baker.
