M.O.B.B. United mourns the tragic loss of Exoneree Leonard Allen Cure. After being wrongfully convicted of an armed robbery, Leonard spent sixteen of his fifty-three years behind bars in a Florida prison. Three years after his conviction was overturned and he was completely exonerated of any wrongdoing, and only two months after being awarded $817,000 by the state of Florida in compensation, Leonard was killed during a traffic stop on October 16, 2023 in Camden County, GA. He was traveling to his Georgia home after visiting his mother in Florida. The details of the traffic stop have not been released but are being investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
The world we live in created the circumstances leading to the death of Leonard A. Cure. Leonard never stood a chance twenty years ago, convicted despite having a solid alibi. He was sentenced to life in prison and spent the next 16 years fighting for his freedom, fighting to be heard. Leonard was forced to live the trauma of incarceration, came home to an environment that had proven to be his enemy, and was stopped by a police officer in uniform. We can imagine this activated his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We don’t yet know whether this was a lawful stop; but what we do know is that Black men are more likely to be perceived as suspicious and subject to more police stops. A 2020 New York University study shows Black men are 20% more likely to be stopped by police and 1.5% - 2% more likely to be searched than White drivers.
Leonard A. Cure was the first person exonerated by the Broward State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit. His case was also represented by the Innocence Project of Florida. Leonard A. Cure was a victim long before being shot on October 16, 2023. He is an example of how the Black man’s life is disregarded in our society. We offer his family and friends our condolences. Even though released from prison, he wasn’t ever really, “free.” M.O.B.B. United grieves the full tragedy of Leonard's life and his death.
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Moms of Black Boys (MOBB) United, Inc. and MOBB United for Social Change, Inc. (MUSC) are sister organizations that are dedicated to positively influencing how Black boys and men are perceived and treated by law enforcement and in society. MOBB United is a nationwide coalition of concerned moms of Black sons who represent every race, age, socioeconomic background, marital status and education level. What we share is unconditional love for our Black sons, and we want others to see them through our proud eyes.