After 44 Years Wrongfully Imprisoned, Ronnie Long’s Story Becomes a Symbol of Freedom and Justice

Community recently gathered to honor Long’s release and reflect on the fight for justice.

Ronnie Long, center, with members of the Community Civil Activist (CCA), a local nonpartisan nonprofit, during the 2024 Freedom Day. Photo courtesy of Jaymond Bryant-Herron.

Few people can truly understand the value of freedom like Ronnie Long, who spent more than half his life in prison for a rape he did not commit.

For Long, a Concord native, freedom “means being able to make your own decisions at your own time without someone standing over you telling you what you can and can’t do,” he told The Cabarrus Compass.