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Angela Davis and Toni Morrison / How do we become whole ... after traumas that threaten to splinter our souls?: On literacy, libraries, and liberation

2011-06-06T12:01:00.006-04:00

{liberatormagazine.com exclusive feature}

“Write it down, girl. Tell everyone how much it hurts. Sharing will make it easier to bear.”
-Terri L. Jewell

How do we become whole -- again, or perhaps for the first time -- after experiencing traumas that threaten to splinter our souls? How do we collect the shards of our broken selves that have been flung far and wide by the impact of life’s blows? How do we process individual and collective pains that have ripped apart our cores? Where do we find wellness, and to whom, or to what, do we turn when relief seems illusory?

The road to recovery is meandering. It is even more twisted for those among us who are incarcerated, and who, often times, have landed behind bars because of behaviors triggered by our deep wounds and ugly scars. How, then, do the jailed build a sense of self within a structure that is designed to systematically demolish the remnants of dignity? This question provided the framework for a transformative workshop that I attended about a year ago, one of seemingly hundreds featured at the five-day US Social Forum in Detroit, MI. Organized by the California Coalition for Women Prisoners (CCWP), the event, “Community, Art and Transformative Justice: Healing and Resistance with Women and Transgender Prisoners,” served as a opportunity for former prisoners to communicate with the broader public about their struggle to attain mental and emotional health while confined, both literally and figuratively. CCWP staffers distributed the quarterly publication, The Fire Inside, featuring the art and writings of incarcerated women. The stories, sketches, and paintings contained in the magazine ran the gamut from heart-wrenching to heart-warming. I realized, as I absorbed the words and images shared, just how narrow the bottomless pit between sanity and madness is, how dependent on each other we are -- and need to be -- in order to shed the avoirdupois that threatens to submerge us in that finite space, and how reading and writing are floatation devices, imbued with the power to prevent us from drowning in that abyss.

The connective tissue here is the idea that each of us is, in varying degrees, caged by the wreckage of our past, and sometimes, our present. Literacy skills serve as invaluable tools as we clear away the rubble in order to make room for a future peppered with the possibility of rebirth. Angela Davis and Toni Morrison explore this notion in a conversation that is essentially a celebration of reading and writing. The dialogue, excerpted below, is one that occurs between old friends -- they bonded when Morrison edited Davis’ autobiography, which was published in 1974 -- therefore, it lumbers along, sometimes taking scenic detours away from the main point. This fact, I suppose, is forgivable, given the heft of both the speakers and the content. Stick with the duo and you will find yourself glowing in the warmth generated by the sharing of ideas between intellectual allies, and privy to a fascinating exploration of literacy as a match capable of igniting recovery and redemption, and sparking resistance.

LIVE from the NYPL: Angela Davis and Toni Morrison: Literacy, Libraries, and Liberation

Toni Morrison: We’re just talking, ooh.

Angela Davis: We’re talking about [Frederick] Douglass, libraries --

Toni Morrison: Literacy --

Angela Davis: Literacy and liberation.

Toni Morrison: Yes, absolutely. Let me start with literacy. Because I have this document here which I want, you know, other people to know about it. We’ll read it. I’m interested, obviously, in literacy. I am impressed with what I’ve only recently discovered, which was that this country is unique in the world in terms of the distribution of libraries throughout the country. You cannot go in rural areas in Europe or in Africa or in Asia, rural areas and find libraries the way you can here, every little town, not to speak of the huge university libraries that just jump up out of nowhere in Indiana, or someplace. In Pennsylvania you go for a hundred miles and there it is, you know, this enormous university, with more books actually than Cambridge or the libraries in Rome, so it’s really an extraordinary thing.

The other thing is about literacy which I’m sort of interested in which is on one hand the power of reading and of course understanding the meaning of what one reads and what I like to think of as visual literacy, visual literacy, which in addition to print or maybe without print, what do people who are literally illiterate do to negotiate around the world, minus people who they depend on? And I don’t mean just uneducated people, I mean people like myself, say, in Beijing, and I don’t read the language, I don’t understand it. How do you negotiate and what are the visual signs that you need to travel? What are the colors, the shapes, the sounds, smells, all the other senses, and it makes for -- if you have that plus the ability to read -- you have this third dimension, an artist’s true dimension of how to read your world as well as how to read texts, and I wanted to begin, because I wanted to describe -- I don’t know -- the explosive, the perception of reading, particularly certain kinds of novels, as not just explosive in a dangerous sense, but explosive in a way that could be lethal.

And my documentation for this, Angela. Well, what it is it was sent to me by an editor from Knopf. The title is the “Publication Denial Notification.” The title of the publication is Paradise by me. “The above publication has been reviewed and denied in accordance with section 3.9 of the TDC rules and regulations for the reasons checked below.” Now, there are five reasons why a book would be banned from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The third one…that’s the one that Paradise is accused of. “Publication contains material that a reasonable person would construe as written solely for the purpose of communicating information designed to achieve a breakdown.” Not just your average breakdown, but a breakdown of prisons through inmate disruption, such as strikes or riots. This is February 20, right after my birthday, 1998. I was amused to get this but I was also thrilled. It seemed like an extraordinary compliment that Paradise could actually blow up into a riot in a prison. So I thought that in addition to my inquiry about expanding literacy to visual literacy as well as print I wanted to make some connection between prisons, their organization, their prohibition, and what they understand to be lethal or dangerous, like reading, like literacy, like understanding.

Angela Davis: I actually wanted to begin on that theme by talking a bit about the inaccessibility of libraries, and I’m thinking about my own childhood, when I saw this incredible building in Birmingham, Alabama, made out of Indiana limestone. It was the Birmingham Public Library, but of course it was only for white peoples. The one black library that existed was run-down, very few books, and I tell this story because I first entered the doors of this library in 1959, and I can remember how it felt to actually walk into a real library, because although I had used the library in Birmingham, it was very lacking in resources. It was broken down. Finally they built a new one.

Toni Morrison: Years later.

Angela Davis: Yeah, many, many years later. So I think that as we talk about the democratic impulse of libraries and the accessibility of libraries it’s also important to talk about those places where books have a hard time penetrating. And your example of the Texas State Correctional System is one. Just before the event, I had an opportunity to look at some of the items from the archival collections here, and I saw -- I saw a wonderful collection of a periodical that was actually published by prisoners at Rikers Island from I think 1939 to 1940-something, and I was thinking about, you know, what was required in order to be able to do that. This is, for those of you who don’t remember, a period when we didn’t have Xeroxing or, I looked at it and I said, “This was mimeographed,” I think -- is that the word, mimeograph? And the prisoners who put this together, and the books that they had to read in order to put this literary publication together was quite astounding, so I really like to thank the librarians for allowing me to see these documents.

I was in jail in New York -- I don’t know, did you mention that I was in jail? Some people don’t know. And one of the first places I went, I was able to go, in the jail was the library, and I didn’t see very many interesting books there, all right? I mean, I had just finished my studies in philosophy, and I went to the library expecting something very different, so what I did was I had people send books to me when I was there, and I wanted to share those books with all of the other women, there was something like a thousand women there. I was not allowed to do that.

Toni Morrison: You could receive the books.

Angela Davis: I could receive the books and I could read the books myself. It was okay for me read them, but don’t share them. And one of them was George Jackson’s book, Soledad Brothers, that was not allowed at all, although we did -- you know, one of the things I learned when I was in jail there was how to secrete certain kinds of things, so we were able to -- so we had these clandestine reading groups, and it kind of reminded me of Frederick Douglass and Frederick Douglass’s effort to get an education, to learn how to read, and his idea that education really was liberation.

Toni Morrison: Absolutely. That scene, I’m sure people who have read the autobiography, of the master saying, “don’t teach him,” and the mistress wanting to, but being afraid to, but he uses an interesting phrase of describing her, which was “irresponsible power,” and I thought that’s, it’s just not having the power, it’s the irresponsibility of how you manage it. And his hunger was overwhelming, cause he knew, as we all know, that that was freedom, and the people who did not want blacks to read knew that. I mean, that’s why, you know. If it had been simple fairy stories, it would have been quite different. Not even that, there is power, if you can’t read in a place like that they can teach you and beat you and the other route is extraordinary. The things people suffered in order to read.

Angela Davis: I was thinking about you know Frederick Douglass’s another passage in the narrative where he kept hearing this word abolition, and he didn’t know what it meant, and he heard about the abolitionists, but he had no idea what it meant and he said that at some point he realized that it was connected to something that he really oughtta be interested in. And then eventually -- he describes this painstaking process of learning, you know, learning how to write -- learning how to read and learning how to write by looking at the markings that were placed on the boards to be used to build ships, so one would say something is forward, starboard, “f,” “s,” and then he learned those letters, “f,” “s,” as a result.

Toni Morrison: Right, it’s amazing.

Angela Davis: And then of course he talks about bribing the white boys to teach him how to read and write. He says at one point he dares a white boy who was around to prove that he could write better than Frederick Douglass himself could. Now, Frederick Douglass really didn’t know how to write that much, so the white boy could write a lot more, so in the process he learns what the white boy was writing. So but the point that I was making about hearing this word and knowing there was something about this word that was so important, but he had no idea what it meant.

Toni Morrison: But he was attracted to it. He knew it was important.

Angela Davis: Abolition. Abolitionists.

Toni Morrison: Sounds like -- sounds important.

Angela Davis: And then of course he becomes the most powerful abolitionist of the era. But that kind of curiosity that really is only possible through a process of education. You know, where, which is not to say that people who don’t know how to read and write don’t have that curiosity but learning how to read and write opens up a whole new universe, opens up a whole new dimension, and this is why these Texas people did not want the prisoners to read. Yes, exactly.

And then you know when you consider that there are now 2.5 million people behind bars, and what can they really do, what can they do that’s significant? You know, reading and writing really allows for the possibility of inhabiting a very different world.

Toni Morrison: But the control of those 2.5 million people -- I don’t know about all -- but it’s such a profit-making thing now. I mean, you have whole cities, I know in Upstate New York, that are living off the benefits of a brand-new prison, employment of the guards, the cooks, you know, all the paraphernalia that goes with imprisonment. I don’t know how they -- Oh, I read about somebody in one of those prisons in Texas, privately owned prisons where the prisoners get out and owe money.

Angela Davis: When the prisoners get out they get no --

Toni Morrison: They owe.

Angela Davis: They owe money, yeah, because they have to pay for their own room and board.

Toni Morrison: Right. They’re in college.

Angela Davis: Yeah, it’s just like the students, right?

Toni Morrison: Room and board, you get out and have this bill, if your family can’t pay, not only have you paid in time for whatever, and then of course the kinds of laws that are, you know, heavily weighted in certain communities for minor offenses and so on, not to speak of. But I was interested in your book because I’m not sure I understand fully that separation -- well, that’s not, well, the implication is that there’s a difference, well, there is a difference between vengeance and justice. But justice itself has some unpleasant consequences. We have to assume that if we want justice for some bad activity by a bad person we want punishment, we want restraint, we don’t want rehabilitation, and that assumes that there is something called “the other,” there is a stranger, that your neighbor or the criminal, the so-called criminal, is some other thing, is an other.

Now, I was thinking along those lines when I was trying to figure out another area that is of great interest to me and has always been, but I have never had the patience or maybe the intelligence or maybe the research to kind of follow it through, which is what the impact of torture, enslavement, and violence has on the birth rate. Therapists don’t seem to be terribly interested in that, but when I mention the other possibility, it seems to me that when you destroy somebody through vengeance and/or severe forms of justice that the real object of the pain really is the self.

So I’m thinking about these slave owners. I’m thinking about say, women in slave quarters, who were pregnant, lying on the ground, and they’d make a hole for her stomach, or any other, you know, sort of savage response that even the one that Frederick Douglass speaks of. It’s very clear in his case when he finally confronts that Covey. Who is Covey fighting? He’s destroying something that is in himself. It’s not that that person is animal or soulless or inferior. If you’re strong enough, you know, it’s the fragile personality, the fragile personality, not the strong one, but the fragile, almost erasable personality that can do that. Because there’s already the self-contempt and the self-loathing, and it’s in that area that I, well -- well, I couldn’t say I’m working -- but I’m just looking at these various forms, it’s so easy -- racism obviously is the easiest thing you can do. It’s so easy to block off those so-called criminals, and they’re away from us, they’re not with us. We don’t even have to be tolerant, because they’re over there, but if they’re us. If we’re doing that in order to corral a certain kind of behavior whether it’s scaled as high or low in order to redeem something in ourselves, that’s a whole different operation, entirely different.

Angela Davis: So do we want to take any questions from the audience? A few? Okay,

Question: If we’re talking about prisons and talking about how inhuman it is and how we are being deprived of so many brilliant minds that are in prison that should be helping to lead the country, can we talk about Mumia and all the political prisoners that are in prison who should be amongst us, please?

Angela Davis: Well, first, I would say that, you know, speaking of literacy and libraries and liberation, Mumia Abu-Jamal has made such an amazing contribution to all three of those categories. This is something that we have to -- we have to save Mumia’s life. We have to save Mumia’s life and it’s also about the relationship between learning and freedom. It’s about the uses to which we put our literacy and because of the fact that there’s been this mobilization against Mumia by law enforcement all over the country it has not been possible to build the kind of campaign that we see in other parts of the world. As a matter of fact, Mumia is an honorary citizen of Paris and there are streets named after him all over Europe. In Germany everyone knows his name. That’s a good question, what can we do? And also I think we have to do the work that needs to be done to build movements, that is to use all of your contacts to encourage people to think about this case, tell people about Mumia. If you have kids who are in school ask the teachers to talk to the children about the meaning of living in a so-called democratic society and using capital punishment as a routine mode of addressing a whole range of issues. This is the only industrialized democracy in the entire world that puts people to death in this way, and Mumia more than anyone has been the face of the campaign to expand democracy in this country, to abolish capital punishment and the death penalty.

Question: I’d like to ask you if you think which is worse: being internally imprisoned or being imprisoned by society? And do you think it is possible to be internally free while being imprisoned by society? I’m referring to slavery and just being in prisons recently.

Toni Morrison: You’re really asking about freedom, internal, external. I have a very small short answer about internal freedom. I’m from Ohio, near Lake Erie, it is a working-class town that had steel mills, shipyards, and so on, so a lot of people came there, African Americans from the South and Mexicans, and Europeans and so on, I mean, a real diverse, as they say in the world, community. The only common thread we had was poverty. But, again we were citizens.

You know, the Polish lady next door would bring us those little cabbage things with meat in them, you know, if we didn’t have any, and if we had something, we’d bring her and everyone had gardens. I’m not trying to make it sound like it was thrilling, because but although we were too young to know, we were miserable. So at any rate, my experiences about race are very different from many other black people. One is because I grew up in a mixed neighborhood. Didn’t mean people didn’t call me name, but you know, they were calling each other names, so what? I remember coming home and some little boy called me a wicked name, he said “You Ethiopian, you.” I said, “Ma, what’s an Ethiopian?” and she said, “Well, Ethiopia’s a country in Africa and this and that and I think the original human beings were born there or something and we all came,” so I thought, “What is he talking about?”

So, but, here’s the thing. There were little minor things like that and sometimes from adults, but I never felt, and this is curious, and I think I know why, but I never felt it the way it was meant, and I think the reason is because I always thought those people were deficient in some way. Always, even as a little, I thought they were deficient, like they had a big sort of racial moment when I was working for some white family just before I got my job as a page, I was working after school just doing housework for two dollars a week, one of which went to my mother and the other I could keep but she had some complicated -- for me, complicated equipment like vacuum cleaners, I never saw one, and a stove that had other things, and I didn’t know how to work it, so she would curse me out, “what’s the matter with you?” Told my mother, “I gotta quit, she’s too mean,” and my mother said, “Quit,” I only get that one dollar, right, so I told my father, and he said -- “I said, Daddy, she’s so mean,” and he said, “Go to work, get your money, and come on home, you don’t live there.” So I didn’t have an employment problem since. It was not -- my life was not there and also I didn’t have to disdain or be afraid of or neglect any person who had an advantage, a skin advantage, over me, whoever they were. I never felt that.

And when I wrote the first book I wrote, The Bluest Eye, I really wanted to know why that girl felt so bad, a real-life girl who said she wanted blue eyes. We were talking about whether God exists, I, of course, was persuaded that he did and she was persuaded that he did not, and her proof was that she had prayed for blue eyes for two years, and she didn’t get them, so obviously he wasn’t up there. But when I looked at her and thought about how awful she would look if she got them, and then I thought the second thing was how beautiful she was at that moment, you know, she was just incredible -- but I didn’t even know whether she was beautiful or not until I thought I about what she might think and then the third thing of course is why does she want that, you know, what makes her think that’s an improvement, and that kind of self-loathing which is real when you don’t have any support, made me think of that as a real subject for a book, not some “oh victim,” but really how it works. How you can -- but I lost your question.

Angela Davis: It was about freedom, too.

Toni Morrison: So that internal thing. I had trouble when I first went, traveled south. Not with white people, yeah, maybe, but my inability to perceive how Southern blacks who were, you know, their whole lives were oppressed, like not feeling comfortable, not being able to go into the library, I mean just anything like that, not knowing, you know, is this place safe or is that place safe, or knowing where the safe places are, and what that might do. How to escape from that, how does one internalize that, or does one, you see, and if you do, you know, how do you get rid of it? So all of those questions, but I never -- But I always thought that those people whether they were adults or children, like he called me Ethiopian, that was, like, so stupid. He had sort of complimented me in a way, that I could not, you know, feel that degradation I was supposed to feel or the self-loathing, and I always felt that inside, which I suppose is called arrogance, uppity, but I think it was the way in which my family responded to it. They were both from the South, Deep South, Alabama and Georgia, but they instilled in us some other thing.

Angela Davis: And it’s actually on a different kind of register about freedom, internal freedom, external freedom, what do we mean by freedom, and we’ve been talking about Frederick Douglass, and freedom had a certain historical meaning then. It was about abolishing slavery, and as I thought about this new edition of The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, I thought it would be important to point out that in a sense as incredible and as brilliant as Frederick Douglass was, his imagination of freedom was historically constricted so that in a lot of ways it was about manhood. And that fight with Covey proves his manhood, and in the process it provides a path towards freedom, and so the question is, well, what about women, and what about little girls, how could they imagine freedom?

And so I want to say, I want to say this in response to one of the earlier questions that I didn’t get to answer about homophobia and the suicides of young gay people today and it’s about how we think about freedom and the historical -- the deeply historical character of our own imaginings of what it means to be free and what did it mean to be free in Frederick Douglass’s time? What did it mean to struggle for freedom during the civil rights era? You know, what does it mean to expand our notion of freedom today? We’ve talked a lot about immigrants, you know, Toni, you were talking about the wall in Mexico, you talked about Palestinians, so how do we bring Palestinian freedom into our frame, how do we bring the freedom of immigrants into the way we imagine freedom today? How do we think about transgendered people? How do we think about gays, lesbians, bisexuals, within the frame of freedom? And what does that tell us about the extent to which our own framework of freedom is quite restricted? So I ask myself sometimes a hundred years from now how are people going to be talking about the struggle for freedom? Because I don’t think we’re ever going to get there. I don’t think we’re ever going to reach a point where “we are free, right, we can rest, we can stop now. We’ve won.” And so it seems that in the very process of struggling for freedom, of reflecting on freedom, of writing about freedom, we constantly challenge the framework within which we develop that imaginary of freedom, so --

Toni Morrison: I think it is. It’s powerfully imaginative. In a certain period it’s this, in another period, it’s something else. I think of freedom as -- a major part of it for me is knowledge, maybe wisdom if you get there, but certainly knowledge, and then I’m reminded that the first sin, Genesis, the sin, is knowledge. The acquisition of knowledge. That’s why they get thrown out of that little kindergarten they were in, that little playpen, nah nah nah, you know something, and the literal words at least in one of the translations, the King James, it’s “they may become wise,” so stop that. They knew and in many other religious forms, that’s why faith and belief are so important, and not knowledge, faith, belief, just instant, which is, you know, I’m not complaining, I’m just suggesting that there’s something so powerful, so attractive, so liberating about what we call science, knowledge, that you can’t have any, which is the same sort of thing that we were talking about with this document from the Texas Corrections Bureau and what Angela is talking about when she talks about the necessity of reading, literacy of all kinds under constrained circumstances. And what Frederick Douglass did, having an intellect like Mumia in prison, all of this works into the same thing. The big horror, they have led us to believe, is knowledge, because that will set you free. (source/full text)

Mumia / "Jay-Z & The Roots of Rap"

2011-02-11T12:01:00.001-05:00

Jay-Z & The Roots of Rap
by Mumia Abu-Jamal

(SOURCE: Prison Radio)

For a rapper to write a book, a straight-ahead prose text, is unusual. For they think in rhymes, couplets, metaphors and beats.

When books do appear, they are often those dreadful 'as told to' pieces, less written than dictated, more hustle than work of art or deep thought.

Jay-Z has produced the former.

An MC of almost legendary skills and reputation in the rap world, his work traditionally mines the urban streets for tales of hustling, of survival, and often, wild parties. They can mime the highly polished art of braggadocio, of wealth and hedonism for which rap is renowned.

But Jay-Z's new book, DECODED, is an honest, sober, well written and surprisingly political work which chillingly recalls the era of rap's birth in Brooklyn and his struggle to find a place in it.

Remarkably, his attempts to get signed by label after label were repeatedly rebuffed, a measure of just how clueless record companies were in rap's crib days.

But he really soars when he writes of his generation's need to pick through the refuse of the past, to fill the aching spaces of fatherlessness, made worse by the ravages of the Reagan era and the drug scourge. He writes:

I feel like we-rappers, DJs, producers -- were able to smuggle some of the magic of that dying civilization out in our music and use it to build a new world. We were kids without fathers, so we found our fathers on wax and on the streets and in history, and in a way, that was a gift; we got to pick and choose the ancestors who would inspire the world we were going to make for ourselves.

That was part of the ethos of that time and place, and it got built into the culture we created. Our fathers were gone, usually because they just bounced, but we took their old records and used them to build something new. {p.255}

The book is richly supplemented with lyrics from Jay-Z's most famous raps, and even several collaborations. It is thus a treasure trove for rap and hip-hop heads.

DECODED is a map of an era that gave birth to one of the most influential musics of the 20th century. Jay-Z has contributed something remarkable as an historical document of the period. (source)

Mumia on Kanye: "Most brilliant"

2010-11-24T12:01:00.019-05:00

Mumia Abu-Jamal addresses the past "year of Kanye" in context {see: Kanye: "One w/ energy of my dreams"}. The concept of Mumia and Kanye in conversation is itself fascinating. Imagine a live exchange (if Jay-Z and Cornel West can sit down, why not?).

Here, Mumia comes to the defense of West from behind enemy lines, almost saying for him now what Kanye might say one day for himself when he's older and wiser -- Mumia has nothing to lose. For now, Mumia says Kanye speaks directly through his art as one of the "most brilliant musical artists of his generation." As a black son, I love when our fathers speak to us directly. This affirmation across such a perceived large internal cultural divide is the village in the space of action, the work of unity. Someone make sure Kanye hears this -- and the Mumia lovers and Kanye lovers alike. We'll meet you at that intersection.

Mumia's November 9th hearing

2010-11-09T12:01:00.007-05:00

"In Support of Mumia Abu-Jamal", The Liberator Magazine (5/14/2007)

"When a cause comes along and you know in your bones that it is just, yet refuse to defend it, at that moment you begin to die ... and I have never seen so many corpses walking around talking about justice."
-Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal is our brother. He is also our generation’s greatest living journalist. Mumia is the answer to the question: "What does a journalist do?" He makes sense out of the fogginess we often find ourselves drenched in -- lazy analysis encouraged by the mainstream (and at times alternative) media which substantiates the status quo due to the fear of change. Since his teenage years, Mumia has been a freedom fighter -- developing his skills as a journalist and radio commentator and consistently proving himself worthy as a dedicated and selfless socio-political analyst and activist. Mumia fervently denounced police brutality -- especially against people of color -- and all other forms of oppression, in much the same way that Nelson Mandela and Robert Sobukwe resisted in South Africa or W.E.B. Du Bois, Kwame Ture, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale did in America.

Related:
Just a glimpse into some of our favorite Mumia commentaries. You can find much more at prisonradio.com, where his latest posts are from yesterday. Dedication!

Obama's True Test: Pardon Mumia
Beyond Elections [Mumia]
The Aura of Inevitability [Mumia]
Nader: "He Can't be Too Black!"
Dawud Akbar: A People's Psychologist

POCC Minister of Information JR Valrey (of the San Francisco Bayview) maintains a great relationship with Mumia and has countless interview with Mumia or about Mumia.

Sis. Pam Africa on Mumia Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

All Out for Mumia on November 9th
"The only legal options to be considered at the Third Circuit's November 9 hearing are whether Mumia Abu-Jamal is to be executed or get life in prison without parole. Clearly neither of those two options is acceptable.

"Of course if the Third Circuit rules against Mumia, he will appeal to the Supreme Court. However, the odds for relief are small, given the increasingly reactionary nature of that court.Thus, Mumia's legal situation is extremely dangerous. His life truly is on the line, for no matter how the court rules, the only two choices under this legal system are either execution or life in prison without parole and, for the moment, the prosecution, with all its allies and backers, is fighting very hard for execution." (source)

Justice On Trial [trailer]

2010-09-18T12:01:00.000-04:00

From the creators; Iranian-born director Kouross Esmaeli and Johanna Fernandez Ph.D (currently teaching 20th-century America, the political economy of American cities and African-American history at CUNY Baruch College ):

"Justice on Trial navigates the tempest of the Abu-Jamal trial by reviewing the known facts of the case. It demonstrates that the major violations in the Abu-Jamal case -- judicial bias, prosecutorial misconduct, racial discrimination in jury selection, police corruption and tampering with evidence to obtain a conviction -- are not special to this case.

"Instead, they are commonly practiced within the criminal justice system and account for the disproportionate incarceration of African Americans and Latinos in the United States. The case of Mumia Abu-Jamal is a microcosm of greater problems in the criminal justice system in the United States today. The attention that its many violations have received make the Abu-Jamal case one of the most important civil rights cases of our time."

Screens September 21st in Philly.

Mumia speaks. Haiti: The Power Of History

2010-03-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

{throwback | liberatormagazine.com}

The timing felt very right for revisiting this conversation with Mumia on Haitian history.

Haiti: The Power Of History

(rightclick+download)

Mumia on next stage in his trial, and Haiti [mp3]

2010-02-22T15:01:00.002-05:00

{"Mumia" by Malik Seneferu}

Brotha JR Valrey from Block Report Radio and the Prisoners of Conscience Committee sat down with Mumia recently to discuss the latest on his legal proceedings and current events, such as the recent earthquake in Haiti and the aftermath.

2/7/2010 Interview with Mumia

(rightclick+download)

Michael the Meal. [mumia]

2009-07-14T12:34:00.001-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "He has become a meal for the media. And the media is ever hungry and never full. I confess to sheer fascination, and thus I am feeding the very beast I declaim. For fascination is fuel to the flame."

Michael the Meal

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Before a nation [mumia]

2009-07-14T04:08:00.000-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "When we speak of Iraq, Afghanistan or even Pakistan as nation-states, we are really speaking of political elites in their capitals, and of relatively new political identities that are not truly agreed upon even in those states. Many of these nations had their borders drawn, not by themselves, but by diplomats in Europe, more for their interests than the inhabitants thereof. Let me give but one example: remember the former Pakistani president-general Pervez Musharraf? In the year he was born, there was no Pakistan. He was born a citizen of northwest India. In many of these countries there are millions of people who see themselves, first and foremost, as members of ancient tribes, to whom loyalties lie. They are Pashtun, Punjabi, or Tajik."

Before a nation

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

The politics of office. [mumia]

2009-07-09T16:09:00.000-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "No matter what crimes were committed [in the previous administration]... they know they are immune... Why? Because that's politics."

The politics of office

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Michael Jackson Master Entertainer [mumia]

2009-07-09T10:09:00.000-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Years ago I told my wife I didn't care for the artist. She told me to ignore all the criticism, the press, all of it, and look at him as an entertainer, like Sinatra. I did. She was right. He was a master entertainer, who moved millions, not only with his distinctive vocals but his dancing changed the art, like Muhammad Ali changed the sport of boxing."

Michael Jackson Master Entertainer

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Michael A Man of Contraditions. [mumia]

2009-07-09T10:05:00.005-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "For all of that he was reportedly achingly lonely. He was so commercially successful that when he put out an album and only 2 or 3 million albums sold, it was considered by the corporate press a flop, because it didn't match or exceed his Thriller album."

Michael A Man of Contraditions

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Dawud Akbar: A People's Psychologist. [mumia]

2009-07-07T10:12:00.008-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Given the trauma of his childhood, he worked with young people to try to give them a sense of their place in the larger community. He wrote several books on social and familial health and harmony. He worked long and hard to serve the many needs of his community, and even three heart attacks didn't stop him. Recently, he suffered a debilitating cerebral hematoma. Dawud Albar was 60 years old."

Dawud Akbar: A People's Psychologist Passes In Pittsburgh

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

GM = G.O.N.E.? [mumia]

2009-07-07T10:12:00.006-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Thirty years ago, when the U.S. faced an oil crisis, small cars began to appear on the roads. As oil prices stabilized, U.S. car makers built fleets of SUV's, which sold quite well to Americans who wanted the civilian equivalent of a tank in their garage. But the gas crisis of 2007 put an end to that idea. U.S. automakers couldn't give these things away. In the meantime, car makers in Korea and Japan, which built safe, affordable cars with extended warranties and polite customer services to Americans, are GM's lunch. Other Asian companies are joining the club. India's Tata Motors, makers of the cheapest car in the world (the $2,000 Nano) has just acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. Being 'too big to fail' is a political judgment, not an economic one. In classic capitalist theory, a business survives if it sells products, and makes a profit. We are beyond that point now. Politics may disguise the problem; but it can't solve it."

GM = G.O.N.E.?

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

A Revolution Within A Revolution? [mumia]

2009-07-07T10:12:00.005-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Iranian scholar, Faridah Farhi, in her book, "States and urban-based Revolutions: Iran and Nicaragua" found one factor was crucial in the success of a modern day agrarian society's revolutions: ...the incapacitation of administrative and military machineries. [...] Other elements at work in revolutionary situations are the existence of "intermediate classes" in society which find economic and traditional centers of Iranian life, the bazaars, the clergy existed, amassing wealth and social power, independent of -- and opposed to the state. These 90,000 clergy formed the core of Khomeini's revolt against the Shah, and therefore had the organizational and ideological wherewithal to steer the growing movement to their ends. They also had a powerful symbol in the Ayatollah Khomeini. There were other factors -- popular mobilizations of the poor, for example -- but without many of the other factors, the chances of a revolution are limited, at best. The country's administrative and military machineries may be many things, but incapacitated they are not."

A Revolution Within A Revolution?

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Stateless State of Palestine. [mumia]

2009-07-07T10:12:00.003-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "The Palestinians have had their best lands seized and Swiss-cheesed by settlements, their parliament has been cast into prison, their water is rationed, and their homes have been bulldozed, all while western leaders crow about a 'peace process' that is, ultimately, a freeze in oppression. Meanwhile, Israel, not only the most powerful military in the region, but an undeclared nuclear-armed state, accepts the idea of a Palestinian state, but only if demilitarized -- and this is seen as progress."

Stateless State of Palestine

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Obama in Cairo. [mumia]

2009-07-07T10:12:00.001-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "As in the election itself, President Barack Hussein Obama benefited more by who he wasn't, than who he was as he addressed an audience in Cairo. He was not George W. Bush, a man known as a mangler of words, and one able to turn a speech into an instrument of torture. With quiet confidence, a clear oratory, a well of knowledge and the power of his personal story, Obama played on strings never strummed by an American president. Initially, it must be said, no other president would've tried such a stage, so conscious are they of security threats in regions where the U.S. is regarded as an imperial bully. Where past presidents have projected arrogance, he evoked compassion; where his predecessor evoked idiocy, he demonstrated erudition. For an act of political theater, his performance was masterful, but it was theater. Politics is ultimately about power, and as the power of the U.S. empire is on the wane, this speech was a call for Arab and Egyptian "partnership" in America's imperial project against "violent extremism." As such Obama continues the 9/11 project begun under Bush-Cheney, but he seeks to avoid the unilateralism of past administrations. Thus, Afghanistan, he said, was a war of necessity; while Iraq was a war of choice."

Obama in Cairo

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

On race, racism and Sotomayor. [mumia]

2009-06-10T16:19:00.005-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "The lesson in this, is that race is often a national construct, which may be transformed by crossing a border... The irony is that judge Sotomayor, if she were born in many latin American countries, would have "blanca" or "clara" on her birth certificate: or "white". Only in the U.S. does she become a person of color. Simply because "whiteness" in the American sense, is a narrow, exclusive domain. Many millions who now call themselves white, had grandparents who weren't considered white, especially given their southern European origins. But things change -- even our definitions of race."

On race, racism and Sotomayor

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

GM's newest deal. [mumia]

2009-06-10T16:15:00.002-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Having eaten the goose of GM profits, they leave the bones."

GM's newest deal

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Brown at 55 [mumia]

2009-06-10T16:06:00.006-04:00

{via Flickr}

WHY?: "Who can doubt that millions of public school students now attend inner city institutions that are just as segregated as they were 50 years ago? Just because the law changes, doesn't mean life does."

Brown at 55

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Mumia's 55th birthday [Oakland]

2009-05-05T23:59:00.000-04:00

(Kulwa, Adimu, Jack Bryson, Angela Davis, M.O.I. JR, Chela Simone, Ambassador Franco, Nakiya, Mistah F.A.B. were all a part of making Mumia's 55th birthday party in Oakland a success!)

[2-day liberatormagazine.com featured story]

On Friday April 24th, 2009 folks gathered in Oakland, Philadelphia, New York, D.C., Toronto and may other locations to celebrate Mumia Abu Jamal's 55th Birthday and the release of his newest book Jailhouse Lawyers. Admittedly, the events were bittersweet. To celebrate the life and accomplishments of Mumia is an awesome thing simply because he is such a powerful example of scholar activism and stands in a long tradition of deep thinkers. However, the bitterness in reviewing the details of his case, knowing that so many people of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds support him, and realizing that so much of his adult life has been spent in a cell, is hard to dismiss.

Nonetheless, folks gathered and organized and pressed forward with the agenda: to "Free 'em All" as the POCC always says. In Philly, we were blessed with the words of Sonia Sanchez along with Chairmen Fred Hampton, Jr, Pam Africa (one of the most underrated organizers I think) & Ramona Africa (of the MOVE Organization), among so many others. In Oakland, Angela Davis (who authored the Foreword of Jailhouse Lawyers) was the guest of honor. POCC Minister of Information JR provides us with a glimpse into the events below, for more information check out blockreportradio.com. Happy Birthday Mumia Abu-Jamal and indeed, Free 'em All!

Mumia's Birthday 2009

JR Valrey is the Minister of Information for the Prisoners Of Conscience Committee, an Oakland based organization founded by Fred Hampton, Jr. with the mission to liberate the minds and hearts of African and colonized people. The POCC takes the stand that all prisoners are political. JR is a regular contributor to The Liberator.

Held on a windy April 24th, 100's gathered into Humanist Hall on the periphery of downtown Oakland to celebrate the 55th birthday of Mumia Abu Jamal, a former Black Panther who has been a political prisoner for the last 12 years, as well as celebrate the book release of his newest creation “Jailhouse Lawyers”, which was just released on City Lights.

Two weeks prior to this birthday party/book reading, Mumia was denied a new trial by the U.S. Supreme Court, which his legal team was petitioning on the grounds that Black jurors were discriminated against in the jury selection process of Jamal's '81 trial, which in the limited minds of people who's vision is dictated by the law, means that Mumia is on the path to spending the rest of his natural life in jail, or to be murdered by a state sanctioned legal injection. This ruling is another example of the people in power not following their own laws. In a previous case known as “Batson”, a plantiff was granted a new trial based on the fact that one potential juror was discriminated against, in Mumia's case 11 were discriminated against. Some describe this behavior by the system as “the Mumia Laws” where the laws change at the drop of a dime, regardless of precedent, to make sure that the system keeps Mumia caged and on deathrow. Others like Mumia himself describe it, as he did in “Jailhouse Lawyers”, in the section titled “What is Law?”, to paraphrase, law is a repressive instrument used by the oppressors against the oppressed to stay in power.

Although this unjust court decision was in the backdrop of this Prison Radio and Prisoners of Conscience Committee sponsored event, it did not put out the flame in people's hearts to continue the fight for justice, to free Mumia and abolish the prison system. A number of spirited speakers graced the stage to read an excerpt from “Jailhouse Lawyers”, and to talk about why they thought that that particular excerpt was important. The hosts for the evening were recording artist Chela Simone and Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio. Speakers included Ambassador Franco who talked about the conditions that Mumia lives and works under, Kulwa who talked about the imprisonment of women, Coordinator Jay related the book to his experience being locked up for almost a decade, and I talked about not forgetting to think about the fact that Mumia writes as well as was active in the community, he is far from just being a commentator. Those speakers were all member of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee. Other speakers included Jack Bryson, the father of 2 of Oscar Grant's friends who were with him on the night that he was murdered by BART police, Richard Brown of the San Francisco 8, legendary activist Angela Davis, musician Adimu of Hairdoo, legendary lawyer Lynne Stewart who was accompanied by her husband, jailhouse lawyer Ed Mead, who was mentioned in Mumia's new book, former Min. Huey P. Newton lawyer Tony Serra, Nina Serrano of KPFA's La Raza Chronicles, who read a birthday greeting for Mumia from the Zapitistas' Subcommandante Marcos, and well known Oakland rapper Mistah F.A.B. also used a section of “Jailhousehouse Lawyers” to talk about his blood brother recently striking out, with the 3 strikes law, and getting 432 years. And these were just a few of the presenters. Tiny, of Poor News Network, and the Molotov Mouths brought a lot of flavor to the event with their political poetry.

The night ended right after Angela Davis, the keynote speaker, spoke on the abolishment of the prison system, Chela sung happy birthday, both, the traditional white and the Black way, Ambassador Franco brought up a chocolate cake with candles burning, and Noelle gave out a number of plaque awards to community supporters of Mumia, accompanied with golden wrenches. At the end of the night, looking from the stage, you could see the cornucopia of ethnicites, generations, and people from all walk of life paying tribute to one of the baddest freedom fighters and coldest journalistic warriors breathing. There were tatted up Black youngstas from the flatlands of Oakland, white hippies from Marin, Santa Rosa, and Berkeley, disabled people rolling around in wheelchairs, as well as children running through the crowd. According to everyone that I talked to that attended this event, this turned out to be one of the best organized Mumia events done on the West coast, this decade. And a shout goes to Philly and New York, who also organized Mumia Birthday parties in their cities, last week.

Editor's note: Former Black Panther and revolutionary journalist Kiilu Nyasha was not able to attend the event because of an accident that kept her hospitalized. We love you Kiilu, for your contribution to the People's Struggles over all of these years.

Of Pirates and Piracy [mumia]

2009-04-21T11:10:00.010-04:00

Of Pirates and Piracy

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

The World To Come [mumia]

2009-04-21T11:10:00.009-04:00

I guess after neo-colonialism, must come a period of neo-imperialism.

The World To Come

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

To The New Left Forum [mumia]

2009-04-21T11:10:00.006-04:00

[washingtonpost.com]

To The New Left Forum

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

3 futures for Mumia: Death, Life In Jail or Freedom

2009-04-16T16:48:00.003-04:00

[parts 2 and 3, after the continued]

"I'm suprised at my disbelief."
"There are several Guantanamos in every state in the union."
"Without struggle there is nothing."
~Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia's statements ring true. Especially that last one -- even in its most fundamental sense, in nature, there can be no continuing of life itself without struggle. When struggle ends, life ends.

At this point Mumia's death sentence can either be upheld or denied. But it appears he has exhaused his legal options as far as getting out of jail. So even if he wins his next appeal attempt, the best he can hope for in this legal system is life in jail. Which leaves the third option: freedom by any means. I'm not sure if we'll see that, but it remains a possibility.

Summitry and Pundrity [mumia]

2009-04-07T15:48:00.001-04:00

Summitry and Pundrity

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Supreme Court rejects new trial for Mumia.

2009-04-07T15:40:00.003-04:00

Despite evidence such as this video above of a Philly District Attorney illustrating how to rig a jury to make it as "unfair" as possible to win a case, the US Supreme Court has denied Mumia's bid for a new trial.

Mumia responds to Supreme Court decision

(Philly Inquirer) Supreme Court rejects new trial bid by Mumia Abu-Jamal: The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a bid today for a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal, who has been on death row for more than 25 years for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner.

Abu-Jamal and his lawyers had been hoping for a new trial based on their contention that prosecutors unfairly excluded African-Americans from his jury during his 1982 trial.

But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in a 2-to-1 decision last March, refused to order a new trial, but the panel agreed unanimously that his death sentence should been thrown out.

The panel said that Abu-Jamal must either be sentenced to life in prison, or receive a new sentencing trial only on the issue of whether he should be sentenced to death or life in prison.

But the epic struggle over the fate of Abu-Jamal, who has become an international symbol in the debate about the death penalty, is not over. The nation's high court is still weighing the state's petition to have his death sentence reinstated. (source)

John Hope Franklin [mumia]

2009-04-07T12:59:00.005-04:00

John Hope Franklin

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Mumia at Baltimore conference [mumia]

2009-04-07T12:59:00.004-04:00

Mumia at Baltimore conference

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Capital amends its rules [mumia]

2009-04-07T12:59:00.003-04:00

Capital amends its rules

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Wilburt Bill Tatum: A memorial [mumia]

2009-04-07T12:59:00.002-04:00

Wilburt Bill Tatum: A memorial for Notably Black Publisher in NYC

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

The Constitution and Other Illusions [mumia]

2009-04-07T12:59:00.001-04:00

The Constitution and Other Illusions

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

The Other Inauguration [mumia]

2009-03-12T21:34:00.002-04:00

Mumia shares a gruesome inauguration-day story of a prison where the swearing-in of Barack Obama was used by prison police/guards as a moment to punish and ridicule black inmates and to try and crush their spirits on what was supposed to be an uplifting day.

The Other Inauguration

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Moneychangers in the temple [mumia]

2009-03-12T21:29:00.005-04:00

While there are plenty of passive black-Jesus paintings out there, I was kinda suprised to find that there aren't too many (if any) black-Jesus paintings of him chasing the capitalists out the temple. I wonder, why?

Moneychangers in the temple

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Gonzalo Aguirre Beltran [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.012-04:00

Gonzalo Aguirre Beltran

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Dr. Huey Newton [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.010-04:00

Huey Newton

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Osborne Anderson [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.008-04:00

Osborne Anderson

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Shirley Chisholm [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.006-04:00

Shirley Chisholm

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Thousands of Black Women [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.005-04:00

Thousands of Black Women

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Tupac Shakur [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.004-04:00

Tupac Shakur

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

William Parker [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.003-04:00

William Parker

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Moses Fleetwood Walker [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.002-04:00

Moses Fleetwood Walker

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

C.L.R. James [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.001-04:00

C.L.R. James

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Billie Holliday [mumia]

2009-03-08T20:00:00.000-04:00

Billy Holliday

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Black Women of the Pen [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:57:00.017-05:00

Black Women of the Pen

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

The Passing of the Papers [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:56:00.016-05:00

The Passing of the Papers

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

More Lessons From Luzerne County [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:56:00.015-05:00

More Lessons From Luzerne County

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Inheriting An Empire II [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:56:00.014-05:00

Inheriting An Empire II

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Wildin on Wall Street [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:56:00.013-05:00

Wildin on Wall Street

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.

Running Backwards [mumia]

2009-03-06T15:56:00.012-05:00

Running Backwards

Mumia Abu-Jamal is an award-winning journalist, former President of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists, and author of "Live From Death Row", "Death Blossoms", "All Things Censored", “Faith of Our Fathers” and the recently released “We Want Freedom”. A resident of Pennsylvania’s death row since 1982, new evidence, including the recantation of a key eyewitness, new ballistic and forensic evidence, judicial racial prejudice, and a confession from Arnold Beverly (one of the two confessed killers) points to his innocence. Mumia continues to fight for a new trial with the support of tens of thousands around the world.