I am struck by how profoundly fear, anger and hatred distorted my beliefs. That despite everything I valued most, I clung to views rooted in violence and oppression, values I thought I could never hold.

The death penalty and capital punishment has long been debated within and across partisan lines. While many deem it necessary to thoroughly punish the worst criminals in this country, the reality is that it actively targets people of color — particularly Black men — and serves as yet another systemic barrier to racial equity.

Execution proceedings happen in the state of Pennsylvania five times each year — yet the state hasn’t executed an inmate since 1999. Mock executions are routinely performed to ensure that in the...