That’s what people were talking about just a few years ago, but they’ re not talking about it anymore.
Hate crimes have surged over 108% since 2019, with anti-Black hate crimes doubling since 2014. Racism is at a boiling point, rivaling levels not seen since the civil rights era. And, with the recently declared war on DEI threatening an all-out assault on equality and systematic rewriting of history, Alexander’s story becomes even more important than it was when we began this project. Long before Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, and others there was Alexander McClay Williams - a 16 year old Black teenager, sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit.
In JUSTICE DELAYED, three families unite to overturn this harrowing injustice and demand both accountability and reparations for the damage done. As a first generation Israeli-American director educated in a predominantly Black school in Pennsylvania, I am no stranger to the realities of racism and the rising tide of antisemitism. My family history spans generations and continents scarred by war and persecution, and I am driven to tell Alexander’s story with urgency and truth.
This film tackles hard questions: how do we not only seek justice but reckon with the legacy of harm and make reparations to communities that have borne the brunt of systemic violence? JUSTICE DELAYED is a call to confront our shared history and dismantle the structures that sustain oppression. Alexander’s story isn’t just a relic of the past; it’s a beacon of hope, resilience, and the enduring fight for true equality and reparative justice.
As the co-director of this documentary, I have embarked on a journey that doesn’t merely recount past events but shines a light on the enduring struggle for social justice in America.
The fact that the youngest person ever to be sentenced to death by the state of Pennsylvania was an innocent Black child all of 16 years of age is, unfortunate- ly, no surprise and serves as a stark reminder of the atrocities that have been committed in this country in the name of justice.
JUSTICE DELAYED is a testament to my passion for media that exposes the systemic racism inherent in our justice system, particularly as it relates to the wrongful incarceration and execution of Black men.
This project affirms my belief that we must confront the painful truths of our history to pave the way for a more equitable future. We would hope to not sim- ply engage the audience in a profound dialogue about the intersection of race, class, and justice in America, but to challenge that audience as a call to action.
The project is a plea for the reevaluation of our justice system, and an opportu- nity to reflect on the collective responsibility we share in ensuring that history’s injustices will not be repeated.
