The Solitary Justice Project with Leon Benson
This week we have a special episode featuring a discussion between Derek Ford and our comrade Leon Benson—an artist, author, producer, exoneree, and a good friend of the people joins the show ahead of the official launch of "The Solitary Justice Project."
Before pivoting to the launch, which wil...
730. Serving exonerees with the only intention of just helping them get back into civilian life.
When Dylan Carnahan interviewed Marvin Cotton Jr., an exoneree little did he know it would lead to an interest in criminal justice, righting wrongs and the creation of an app aimed at helping those wrongfully imprisoned. It was that interview on Dylan's Carnahan's Simple Questions podcast, th...
Secrets Some of Us Kept From Others
We have a special guest.
Another black man who lost decades of his life to a system that got it wrong—and walked out still choosing to heal, to speak and to help others do the same. He’s a mental health advocate and so much more. His name is Leon Benson and he is an exoneree after serving approxi...
#572 Guest Host Kemba Smith with Leon Benson
On August 8th, 1998, 25-year-old Kasey Schoen was shot and killed while sitting in his car in Indianapolis, IN. A few days later, a man approached officers and told them that he saw 22-year-old Leon Benson shoot the victim. A single eyewitness identified Leon as the shooter out of a photo lineup,...
Listen Now: Suspect "Five Shots in the Dark"
Leon Benson spent 24 years in an Indiana state prison for the 1998 murder of a young man named Kasey Schoen. His conviction hinged on the testimony of two eyewitnesses – but what if their memories turned out to be wrong? And what if the people who knew what really happened had never been allowed ...
Leon Benson – I'm Living Like I Died Before
At just 23 years old, Leon Benson was sentenced to 61 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. At 47 years old, Leon is a free man after his case was taken up by lawyers at the University of San Francisco Law School’s Racial Justice Clinic. Over 25 years, Leon consumed as much knowledge as...
Aquarius Moon and the Politics of Burlesque
For our second Black August episode, Aquarius Moon, the 6th most influential burlesque artist worldwide, joined this week’s show to discuss “Every(body) Wants to be a Show Girl,” currently on display at the Fonseca-Du Bois Gallery. Leon Benson also gives us a preview of Common Unity 3, which is f...
2024: Guilty Until Proven Innocent | ft. Leon Benson
Peace family! In this episode, meet Leon Benson (El Benty 448). He was wrongfully convicted and rightfully exonerated for a crime he did not commit. This black man was taken away from his family for over two decades and is now back in society to empower those that have fallen victim to similar ci...
ICE Floods Indy as Government Abandons Flood Victims
On the newest episode of Naptown People’s Radio, co-host Dani Abdullah is joined by guest host and PSL comrade Lucas Lee to acknowledge a seemingly simple truth: there is rarely such a thing as a “slow news week” in Indianapolis. The past week was no exception.
In the Naptown Breakdown, Dani and...
Common Unity 3 with Leon Benson: The People Will Win
This week, Leon Benson joined the show to discuss Common Unity 3 and why the yearly event is no longer a tradition but a mission. As a reminder, Leon was framed by the cops and wrongfully imprisoned for 25 years—10 of which he served in solitary confinement— for the murder of Kasey Schoen.
Napto...
