Cyntoia Brown-Long Speaks at Civil Rights Conference

Cyntoia Brown-Long delivered the keynote address February 7 for the University of Tennessee at Martin’s 22nd annual Civil Rights Conference, being held at the main campus. When she was 16, Brown-Long was sentenced to life for killing a man in self-defense. Fifteen years later, she was granted clemency by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Since her release, she has used her platform to advocate for criminal justice reform and the ending of human trafficking. Brown-Long, along with her attorneys Charles Bone and UT Martin graduate J. Houston Gordon, also participated as guest lecturers in the introduction to criminal justice course and held a Q&A session with mass media and strategic communication students during their visit. A book signing was also held after her address. The Civil Rights Conference will continue until February 28.