Former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee, will be the keynote speaker Oct. 16 at Southern Connecticut State University during a forum to mark the 75th anniversary of the Sacco-Vanzetti executions.
Dukakis will discuss issues related to capital punishment and the implications of the death penalty in today's society. He is an ardent opponent of capital punishment and as governor signed a proclamation that cleared the names of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti in 1977 during a ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of their executions.
The two Italian immigrants had been charged with murder in one of the nation's most controversial criminal cases. They were executed in 1927, but evidence later cast considerable doubt upon their guilt and that they may have been victims of discrimination because of their ethnic background and political beliefs. The two were Italian-Americans who were also anarchists.
"We will be honored to have Gov. Dukakis speak on our campus about an issue that remains one of the most thought-provoking questions in our country," said SCSU President Michael J. Adanti. "The generation of a healthy dialogue about important matters such as this is part of the mission of our university."
Dukakis is scheduled to speak in between two panel discussions during the forum. One panel will discuss the death penalty, specifically about the concern of how some people who are executed are later found to be innocent. The other panel will focus on racial and ethnic profiling.
Panelists with varying viewpoints on these issues are being selected. They will include experts in the field, SCSU faculty and individuals with personal experiences dealing with these issues.
RSS