' s ▁imprison ment ▁was ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁wanting ▁to ▁disag ree ▁with ▁" a ▁sens eless ▁war , ▁ra cial ▁opp ression ▁at ▁home , ▁and ▁the ▁pl ight ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁tax ation ▁without ▁representation ". ▁ ▁Comm uted ▁sentence ▁▁ ▁Grant ▁was ▁eventually ▁granted ▁par ole ▁from ▁Governor ▁H unt ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina ▁reducing ▁his ▁sentence , ▁and ▁Red dy ▁and ▁Parker ▁were ▁also ▁set ▁free . ▁When ▁Grant ▁learned ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁fre ed , ▁since ▁he ▁had ▁" made ▁progress ▁towards ▁re h abil itation " ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁Governor ▁instead ▁of ▁a ▁full ▁p ardon , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁" people ▁have ▁paid ▁higher ▁prices " ▁than ▁he ▁has , ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁is ▁fine ▁with ▁whatever ▁decision ▁he ▁is ▁granted . ▁The ▁sentences ▁were ▁not ▁p ardon ed ▁however ▁by ▁Governor ▁H unt , ▁but ▁rather ▁comm uted , ▁imp lying ▁that ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁still ▁guilty ▁of ▁the ▁burning ▁in ▁the ▁eyes ▁of ▁the ▁jud icial ▁system . ▁ ▁Lar ger ▁context ▁of ▁politics , ▁race , ▁and ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement ▁▁ ▁The ▁Charlotte ▁Three ▁case ▁was ▁an ▁event ▁that ▁ep it om ized ▁the ▁larger ▁issues ▁of ▁politics , ▁race , ▁and ▁the ▁civil ▁rights ▁movement ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁The ▁comm uting ▁of ▁the ▁sentences ▁for ▁the ▁men ▁may ▁not ▁have ▁actually ▁been ▁purely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁reasons ▁public ly ▁stated , ▁but ▁instead ▁for ▁hidden ▁political ▁ones . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 9 ,