COSTELLA CANNON, 66

Tireless opponent of death penalty
By Manya A. Brachear

Tribune staff reporter
Published June 29, 2003

Costella Cannon wanted to help young people make a smooth transition as they returned to the world outside of prison. But when her son Frank Bounds died of cancer while on Death Row, she made his cause her own.

Ms. Cannon, 66, of Chicago, an advocate for ending the death penalty, died Saturday, June 21, in Stroger Hospital in Chicago.

Ms. Cannon was born in Birmingham, Ala., and raised on the South Side of Chicago. She started her own family at age 16, but would become a mother to all, opening her door to anyone who needed assistance, said her daughter Brenda Lewis.

"When some people ran away from difficulties, she ran into them," her daughter said. "For her, it was a just cause." That tendency led Ms. Cannon to become an energetic and enterprising evangelist with a tireless work ethic.

After working for the U.S. Postal Service from 1955 to 1970, she went to work for the church where she was a member, the now-closed Greater Northern Evangelical Church. Fourteen years later, she launched a church ministry to reach out to incarcerated youths.

In 1992 she started Concerned Friends Inc., a not-for-profit organization to help teens with their transition out of prison, her daughter said.

But in 1998, when her son Frank Bounds died while fighting appeals from Death Row, she adopted a new mission--to abolish the death penalty. Her son claimed he had been wrongfully accused of murder. He was convicted in 1987 based on investigations by former Chicago Police Cmdr. Jon Burge and his detectives. Burge was fired in 1993 over allegations he tortured murder suspects.

As an honorary 11th member of Mothers of the Death Row 10, Ms. Cannon called on people to imagine all men on Death Row as sons and brothers.

Bill Ryan, an executive member of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, said Ms. Cannon's evangelistic style made an impact on the anti-death penalty campaign.

"I don't know if I ever saw an event related to justice and getting rid of the death penalty that Costella wasn't at," he said.

And her message was always the same: All God's people are created equal. The death penalty is an abomination. No one should ever kill. Killing the killer is no answer.

"Except she gave it 5,000 times better," he added. "It would be in a crescendo. All I had to say was, `Here's Costella. She's gonna preach,' and she'd take off."

Ms. Cannon traveled to rallies in Washington and California, often as a keynote speaker.

"My mother was always known as a fireball even at the church where I was going for many years," her daughter said.

Ms. Cannon also is survived by three daughters, Kennetha Glover, Wilma Millin and Lueanna Amos; three sons, Willie Amos Jr., Ralph Amos and Raymond Amos; a sister, Trudie Richardson; five brothers, John Davis, Calvin Davis, Willie Davis Jr., Charles Davis and Ceasar Davis; her father, Willie Davis Sr.; 35 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

Services have been held. The Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and the Campaign Against the Death Penalty plan to co-sponsor a memorial service July 12 at a location to be announced.

Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune

Costella M. Cannon

Cannon, Evangelist Costella M. age 66, died June 21 at the John Stroger Cook County Hospital, beloved mother of seven, cherished grandmother of 35, great-grandmother of 23, dear sister of one sister and six brothers and many loving nieces, nephews, spiritual children and friends near and far.

Evangelist Cannon was an activist and abolitionist, member on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and was a leading member of the Campaign to End the Death Penalty. She worked diligently to get people to do more than talk about the day's issues in relation to capital punishment and was known as "mom" to many prisoners on death row. She was instrumental in rallies nationwide in addressing the "injustices" of the system. Her dedication was spurred by the untimely death of her son, "Frank Bounds" who was one of the original death row ten and the first police torture victim on death row to win a evidentiary hearing which addressed the injustices uncovered in the legal system before his death. She faithfully continued in his (Frank) memory until the historical ruling of Governor George Ryan to empty the rows of the crippled death row system of Illinois.

"Just us is not justice at all" was the silent cry which as given voice when Governor Ryan's thorough overview and review of the in-justice system with selective bias against minorities caused a ripple. She also was active in other social programs to provide various needed services to the youth. She was a dedicated "mother-figure" to the downtrodden and many who were in between blessings. She worked faithfully in many spiritual circles and denominations as God led her nationwide. She had a tremendous influence on the movement for abolition in the State of Illinois.

Services Saturday, June 28, 2003, wake 10 a.m., funeral 11 a.m. at Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, 7158 S. Peoria., Chicago. A memorial service for her faithful contributions to the Death Penalty is being planned in the near future. For more information, please contact (773) 443-7465 or (847) 882-2870.

Published in the Chicago Sun-Times on 6/28/2003.