Biography
Edwin "Eddie" Ellis was a former Black Panther who was targeted as part of the FBI’s Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO). He was framed for a murder he did not commit in 1969, serving 23 years in prison. Ellis became an advocate for prison education and, following his release, went on to have a distinguished career helping other formerly incarcerated people find stability and success. While he was in prison, he earned a Master’s degree from New York Theological Seminary, a Bachelor’s from Marist College and a paralegal degree from Sullivan County Community College. With other prisoners at Greenhaven, Ellis formed the Think Tank, an organization whose research showed that 75% of the prisoners in New York State come from just seven neighborhoods in New York City.
