In response to public outrage, organizers of the Escape from Angola Triathlon have shut down the March 20th event for good. NOLA.com reports that “the event’s organizers said they had received personal attacks and threats against them, and ‘we do not feel like we can offer a safe environment for our athletes.'”. Also from NOLA.com, this quote from the Louisiana DOC:
“Darryl Campbell, executive management officer for the Department of Public Safety & Corrections, said it was disappointing the event was canceled. Some of the proceeds were set to go to offender re-entry initiatives, supporting GED testing, vocational certification and other programs meant to help inmates upon their release. Other money, from those who paid to stay overnight, was set to go to a fund for Angola’s prison museum, the race’s organizers said.
According to a contract signed Feb. 23, the race’s organizers had agreed to pay the Department of Corrections $10 per athlete and per spectator, and $50 per guest who stayed in the old death row cellblock. The prison also was planning to sell food, and the contract indicated it would let inmates sell arts and crafts, as they do at the rodeo.”
As publisher of the press release on this site, I personally apologize to our readers for my insensitive approach to this issue. We will be reaching out for comment from FRESHJUNKIE immediately.
#NoPartyOnDeathRow Angola is not a place to party at. It's not a place to have a sleep over. It was built on the blood of Black people.
— Allison Granted (@AllisonGranted) March 1, 2016
As a resident of Louisiana and someone who sees how the prison industrial community ruins lives, this is unacceptable #NoPartyOnDeathRow
— Joseph Coco (@SBirdofParadise) March 2, 2016
"There's a plantation-turned-prison named Angola for where the slaves came from."
"Dope let's have a party there!"#NoPartyOnDeathRow
— Aura Bogado (@aurabogado) March 1, 2016
