Wrongfully Convicted Marylander Fights for Rights of Incarcerated

Maryland Humanities welcomes Walter Lomax, in conversation with The Honorable Gale E. Rasin, to the Motor House on February 9 at 2:00 p.m. In 1967, Lomax was arrested in Baltimore at the age of 20 and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Robert Brewer, the proprietor of Giles Food Market. Lomax maintained his innocence from the time of his arrest. After nearly 40 years and repeated petitions for a new trial, a review of his case by Judge Rasin and additional investigations led to Lomax’s release in 2006.

Lomax will speak about his experiences navigating the justice system following his incarceration for a crime he did not commit. He will also discuss his work as the Founder and Executive Director of the Maryland Restorative Justice Initiative, which fights for the rights of incarcerated individuals with parole-eligible life sentences. Andrew Green of The Baltimore Sun will moderate the event, part of Maryland Humanities’ “Is Justice Just?” series.

The event is free, but reservations are required. We recommend that all guests arrive together. Note that a reservation is not the equivalent of a ticket. Attendees are urged to arrive early as any seats remaining when the program begins will be open to walk-up attendees. Seats can be reserved here. The Motor House is located at 120 West North Avenue in Baltimore City.

Maryland Humanities began the “Is Justice Just?” series in October with a screening of Inside the Executioner’s Shadow, a documentary about the death penalty, followed by a discussion. In December, Maryland Humanities hosted author and community leader Tony Lewis, Jr., who spoke about the impact of mass incarceration on children and families. The series will conclude with a future event this April.

Maryland Humanities’ local partners for “Is Justice Just?” are The Baltimore Sun, Curatorial Practice MFA at MICA, and Choose Civility Howard County, led by Howard County Library System.

This series is part of the “Democracy and the Informed Citizen” Initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The series is made possible through the generosity of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the partnership of the Pulitzer Prizes. Additional support for programming in Maryland has been provided by Venable Foundation and Baltimore Bar Foundation.