A forthcoming book about the 1979 murder of a University of Maine history professor was the subject of a recent webinar co-hosted by the University of Maine Alumni Association and the Maine Historical Society.
The presenters–Amy Banks and Isaac Knapper, co-authors of Fighting Time—have unique perspectives. Banks was the teenage daughter of Professor Ronald Banks, who was killed in a street shooting while attending an academic conference in New Orleans. Knapper was the 16-year-old who spent 13 years in prison for the murder before advocates uncovered evidence that proved his innocence and led to his release.
Meeting for the first time in 2015, Banks and Knapper formed an immediate bond and, in very different ways, a shared sense of victimhood. Their book covers their 36-year journey — from young victims of trauma, prosecutorial misconduct, and systemic racism, to becoming allies and advocates for social justice.
Fighting Time will be issued in November by Regal House Publishing.
The webinar was recorded and will be available at mainehistory.org/onlineprograms.