Martina Correia, 1967-2011: NAACP’s Ben Jealous on the Life of Troy Davis’ Sister, Public Champion

The funeral of Georgia activist Martina Correia, the older sister of former death row prisoner Troy Anthony Davis, was held earlier this month in her home town of Savannah, Georgia. She passed away December 1 after a more than decade-long battle with breast cancer at the age of 44. At the same time as she fought to save her own life, Correia struggled valiantly to save that of her brother’s. Davis was executed by the state of Georgia on September 21, despite major doubts about evidence used to convict him of killing police officer Mark MacPhail, including the recantation of seven of the nine non-police witnesses. “She leaves behind a tremendous legacy,” NAACP President Ben Jealous says. “Martina really had inspired activists around the country, including young activists.”