On Wednesday, April 12, Rainn Wilson (The Office) hosted an evening at Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills dedicated to advancing social justice and advocating for police reform in support of James Gibson and The Clara and James Gibson Foundation.
James Gibson was wrongly accused of a double murder and served 29 years behind bars. While incarcerated, his mother Clara served as his beacon of hope and reassured him over and over again that he would one day win his freedom. Using his mother as inspiration, and refusing to let his situation break him, James educated himself on the law and fought until he was able to receive his day in court. In 2019, at the age of 53, he gained an appeal which led to his freedom.
James walked out of prison a free man, but unfortunately for him, his biggest supporter, his mother Clara, had already passed away.
Determined to continue the work he started in prison, and to keep his mother’s legacy alive, he created The Clara and James Gibson Foundation. The organization aims to create the first-ever digital archive to share stories of those wrongfully convicted of crimes, advance social justice, and advocate for police reform in America.
The evening was filled with insightful conversations centering around the Foundation’s plan to make transformative and lasting changes to the current broken, abusive, and discriminatory systems.
To learn more about The Clara and James Gibson Foundation, and to help the organization reach its goal of collecting $250,000, donations can be made here.
“There’s nothing better in life than freedom. Never take your freedom for granted, enjoy every moment of your life.”
-James Gibson
