An Ode to Delbert Tibbs

• In Event: Capital Punishment, Wrongful Convictions and the Web of Impact

Abstract

In 1974, Delbert Tibbs was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death in Florida. He was accused of murdering a young man and raping his female traveling companion. The young woman’s original description did not match Mr. Tibbs, however, investigators pressured by the DA and fueled by a flaming racial climate, changed the details of her description and Delbert was arrested. During his time incarcerated, Mr. Tibbs’ case became a national sensation, garnering support from activists like Angela Davis and Oscar Brown Jr. Thanks, in part, to a song written by Pete Seeger "Ode to Delbert Tibbs" and to the many efforts of grassroots black organizing groups across the country, Tibbs was released in January 1977. The case according to the state of Florida, was dismissed in 1982 for "insufficient evidence"; no official pardon was ever sought or obtained. Ms. Tibbs will share the impact of her father’s wrongful conviction on her life, their family and overall community.

Author

• Mahalia Abeo Tibbs, Witness to Innocence