Obie Anthony

Obie Anthony’s journey is a testament to how an individual can overcome adversity through service, perseverance and hope. Born in Missouri, and raised in Los Angeles, Anthony’s life took a turn when he was accused of murder in 1994 at just 19 years old. He was wrongfully convicted, given a life sentence and spent the next 17 years in prison, all the while maintaining his innocence. Through the assistance of the Northern California Innocence Project and the Project of the Innocent at Loyola Law School working tirelessly on his behalf, Anthony was able to prove his innocence and was exonerated in 2011.

Since his release, Anthony has worked vigorously to raise awareness of the plight of the wrongfully conviction and help exonerees get back on their feet. With the absence of state and federal funding to allow exonerees assimilation into society, one of Anthony’s first accomplishments was to advocate legislation to benefit the wrongly convicted. California AB 672, enacted in 2015 and now known as Anthony’s Law, requires that the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Department of Motor Vehicles ensure that all eligible exonerees have valid identification cards.

Anthony also recognized and experienced a flaw in our judicial system—once released, exonerees have no access to transitional services that ease their integration into society. It’s as if the conviction never happened and suddenly they are thrust into a world for which they have no skills make beneficial societal contributions. To fill that gap, Anthony created the non-profit organization, Exonerated Nation. Its mission is to provide job training and placement, healing resources to deal with the mental health issues that can arise out of the prison experience, care packages and leadership training for exonerees.

Anthony has been a highly visible proponent of the wrongful conviction movement. He has been featured on KCET-TV (PBS) and TLC, Here and Now (NPR), as well as numerous newspaper and electronic media outlets nationally. He is a much sought after speaker, having presented before Google, Pepperdine University, UCLA, and Long Beach University among others.

Anthony embodies the concept that the past does not influence one’s future. His determination to uplift the wrongfully convicted by sharing his story and championing the cause has only opened more doors and raised awareness for a segment of our society that can no longer be overlooked.

Anthony is married to Denise Anthony and resides in St. Louis, MO.