Team
LEADERSHIP
YVETTE ALLEN
Yvette is an artist, activist and organizer; she is also the Founder & Director of the Free Billie Allen Campaign, a volunteer-led campaign that aims to raise awareness about her brother, who has been on federal death row for the past 25 years for a crime that he didn't commit. As the sister of a brother who is fighting to prove his innocence, Yvette has been committed to not only bringing him home, but others wrongly convicted and impacted by the system and the death penalty as well.
For her, it is important that those most impacted by the system are intentionally involved in making decisions and that their voices and the voices of their loved ones are heard.
WHITNEY MEILAN YANG
Whitney Meilan founded Mixed Change, a communications consulting business serving social justice organizations, to amplify the voices of people directly impacted by human rights abuses and to challenge normative narratives that further oppression and injustice.
Her volunteer work as the Campaign Manager for the Free Billie Allen Campaign inspired her to create The Bambi Fund, a foundation with a mission to provide low barrier grants for current and budding projects, social enterprises, and nonprofit groups led by people from historically excluded communities.
GBENGA AKINNAGBE
Gbenga Akinnagbe is an activist, producer, and actor best known for his roles as Chris Partlow on the HBO series The Wire and as Larry Brown on the HBO series The Deuce. He is the founder of the clothing company Liberated People, which offers a percentage of its proceeds to various social and racial justice causes.
Gbenga is passionate about disrupting cycles of incarceration; he became an Ambassador for the Free Billie Allen Campaign in 2022.
COMMUNICATIONS & STRATEGY
NICK COURMON
Nick Courmon is a poet, spoken word artist, writer, educator, and community organizer from Greensboro, NC. Nick currently travels to speak and perform at colleges, universities, and companies around the world to discuss activism, education, death penalty abolition, and mental health awareness. You can learn more about Nick and his work at www.ndcpoetry.com
ANNE PFAFF
Anne Pfaff (she/her) is a video editor and social justice advocate, with the goal to make an impact using creativity. Originating from Indiana, home of the federal penitentiary, she felt connected with Billie’s campaign for freedom. She became friends with Billie in 2020 and felt called to work with the campaign for his freedom.
TIO SESSOMS
After wrongful conviction, to now using my knowledge as a certified paralegal, consultant and reentry specialist. My company T.RIND Consulting LLC, builds a way forward through advocacy, referrals, case research, mentorship and family guidance. I will continue to build my way through my education to have an even greater impact.
Contact Tio at t.rindllc@gmail.com
JULIE D
Friend, fundraiser and story teller based in the UK. Julie has supported Billie’s campaign for the past 5 years and has written about the evidence for his innocence and the importance of taking a stand against the death penalty.
DAMON J BARNES
Damon J. Barnes (they/him/her) is a Bajan non-binary writer, filmmaker, model, and activist based in Maryland and NYC.
CLIO B GATES
Clio is a 2022 graduate of Georgetown University, where she majored in Justice and Peace Studies. She met Billie in January 2022 through her participation in a class called Making An Exoneree, which paired her and two other students with Billie to work on his case for innocence.
SHAKTHI
I first got involved with the campaign through the Making An Exoneree course. Since then, I've been committed to the fight to bring our friend Billie home.
CLAUDIA AMENDOEIRA
Originally from Lisbon, Portugal, Claudia Amendoeira is a student at Georgetown University majoring in International Politics and minoring in Journalism. She arranges a variety of different initiatives to raise awareness to Billie’s case around Georgetown, and dreams of going to Law school to work in cases of other wrongfully incarcerated people.
DOCUMENTARY TEAM
BILLIE MELISSA
Billie Melissa is a film director and screenwriter. Her directorial debut I Love You, Guys! is due to be released in 2023 and she is currently collaborating with fellow Billie Allen campaign members Maurita Cardone and Rebecca Waer on a documentary about Billie Allen. She has previously worked as a film critic for various publications and been part of the Sundance and TIFF Media Inclusion Initiatives.
Follow Billie at IG @billiemelissa_
MAURITA CARDONE
Writer, editor and cultural producer, working at the intersection between the arts, ecology and social justice. Currently collaborating with the Free Billie Allen Campaign as well as Billie himself to produce a documentary on his story.
REBECCA WAER
Rebecca Waer is an Emmy-nominated documentary producer and filmmaker. She is currently collaborating with fellow Free Billie Allen campaign members Billie Melissa and Maurita Cardone, along with Billie Allen himself, on a documentary about Billie Allen's story.
Contact Rebecca at: rwaer.freebillieallen@gmail.com