This week, we sit down with Sister Helen Prejean, one of the most influential moral leaders of our time and a guiding force in the movement to end the death penalty. For more than three decades, she has accompanied people on death row with dignity, supported families affected by violence, and challenged the nation to confront the human cost of state killing with honesty and compassion.

She joins us to celebrate the release of Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition, a powerful new retelling created to reach younger readers, visual storytellers, and classrooms. This edition renews the impact of her work through art and narrative, and we talk with Sister Helen about why this moment matters, how storytelling opens hearts, and what continues to sustain her spirit after decades of courageous advocacy.

Our conversation explores her childhood in Baton Rouge during the Jim Crow era, her early formation as a young nun, and the unexpected letter in 1982 that set her on the path of accompanying people on death row. Sister Helen shares profound personal stories, reflects on the global landscape of state killing, and offers wisdom on courage, conscience, and the dignity at the center of every human life.

May this conversation strengthen our collective resolve to end the death penalty in every corner of the world.

SHOW NOTES

Episode Transcript PDF

Sister Helen’s Website: Learn more about her books, advocacy, and ongoing work.

Dead Man Walking: Graphic Edition: A new adaptation illustrated by Catherine Anyango Grünewald with a script by Rose Vines, created to reach new generations through visual storytelling.

SISTER Documentary

Rebel Nun Documentary

Calvin Duncan’s Book: The Jailhouse Lawyer: The remarkable story of a wrongfully convicted man who became a leading jailhouse lawyer and was recently elected Clerk of Criminal Court in New Orleans.

The Guardian Investigation on Saudi Arabia

Amnesty International Report on Executions in Saudi Arabia (2025)

Innocence Project

In this episode of Human Rights: Conversations Across Generations, we are honored to welcome The Honorable Unity Dow, a trailblazing jurist, author, and human rights advocate from Botswana. Unity is also a cherished friend of the Institute and a long-standing partner of the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights. The Institute’s inaugural founder and director, Professor Bert Lockwood, supports the placement of UMI's law fellows in Mochudi, where they work directly with Unity and her community, continuing a collaboration that spans decades.

Our conversation reflects on Unity’s landmark citizenship case, now studied across the Commonwealth, and the ways her work has shaped constitutional and human rights development in Botswana and beyond. She shares insights from her diverse career, including her service as a judge, minister, parliamentarian, and educator dedicated to expanding opportunities for young people through the Dow Academy.

Unity offers thoughtful reflections on leadership, progress, and the responsibilities facing the next generation of advocates. Her voice is a powerful reminder that principled and community-rooted human rights work remains essential in today’s world.

Show Notes

Episode Transcript PDF

Unity Dow Website: https://unitydow.org/

The Dow Academy: https://thedowacademy.org/

This week, we welcome Eric Stover, an esteemed colleague and pioneer in human rights investigations. As a Research Professor and Co-Faculty Director of the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, Eric has spent decades at the forefront of applying science to pursue justice. He is a recipient of the 2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science Award.

This conversation across generations traces his groundbreaking career, from launching the first forensic investigations of the disappeared in Central and South America to his critical work using forensic science in historic atrocity cases. We discuss his significant role for the United Nations War Crimes Tribunals and how his research helped launch the Nobel Peace Prize-winning campaign to ban landmines.

Eric shares insightful advice for our listeners on applying science and public health to the pursuit of justice.

SHOW NOTES:

- Transcript PDF

- The Berkeley Protocol on Digital Open Source Investigations: OHCHR Publication

- PBS Documentary, Tulsa: The Fire and the Forgotten: Watch on PBS

- PBS Documentary, El Equipo: Independent Lens

- Pader Girls Academy: Berkeley Human Rights Center Project

Welcome back for Part 2 of our special series with the father-daughter duo, Professor Harold Koh and Emily Koh!

Having explored the foundations of Harold’s legal career and family legacy in Part 1, this episode focuses on the critical challenges facing human rights and democracy today. We start with a powerful reflection on Harold's father and his unwavering commitment to the Rule of Law, made at great personal cost.

Professor Koh then discusses his recent work, including his book, The National Security Constitution in the 21st Century, where he analyzes the existential dangers of executive unilateralism and offers his strategy for defending constitutional checks and balances.

Harold and Emily share their inspiring thoughts on finding hope and the essential need to keep "marching" in the fight for human rights.

Show Notes

We are honored to welcome our first father-daughter duo to the show for a special two-part series: the esteemed Professor Harold Koh and his daughter, Emily Koh. This conversation represents a true multi-generational dialogue on human rights and the shared passion for justice that connects us.

Professor Koh, the Sterling Professor of International Law at Yale Law School, has shaped the human rights landscape over five decades, serving four U.S. Presidents. Emily has dedicated her career to social impact, gender equality, and women's rights, including her former role on the White House’s Gender Policy Council under the Biden Administration.

In this first part of our conversation, we dive into the foundations of Harold’s inspiring family legacy and career from his parents’ pioneering work at Yale Law School and his clerkships with Justice Harry A. Blackmun, to his key role in founding the Allard Lowenstein Clinic and his human rights advocacy in cases like "Storming the Court."

Listen to this episode now, and be sure to come back next week for Part 2 of our dynamic conversation.

Show Notes:

Professor Harold Koh's George Washington Law Commencement Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/live/Zb6LXVJc5YM

Support the Christy Fisher Legal Fellowship: https://ctveteranslegal.org/fisherfellowship/

We welcome legendary litigator Professor Paul Hoffman to discuss his decades-long career pioneering international human rights law and battling abuses by global corporations. This intergenerational conversation bridges the past and future of the movement, revealing the core struggles and enduring hope required for justice.