From Sis. Marpessa:
Sis. Fatirah and myself have raised our voices against Jam Donaldson's recent column which appeared in Ebony Magazine's February 2010 issue (viewable at http://www.conversateisnotaword.com/?p=167). Please read our letters and let your voice be heard as well! -- Sis. Marpessa.
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Jam Donaldson
jam@jamdonaldson.com
www.jamdonaldson.com
www.hotghettomess.com
Terry Glover, Managing Editor
Ebony Magazine
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.
820 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
312-322-9200
tglover@ebony.com
To whom it may concern,
I'm writing in response to the 'article' in Ebony magazine by Hot ghetto mess Jam Donaldson. As I read it, I thought 'uh oh; here is another self hating young Black person, who thinks they are designated to point out our faults and present our failures to the world (ala hotghettomess.com), all the while appearing just a little bit better than the rest of us. I have seen the messes in various emails and while they bring a shake of the head, I wonder why someone would go to the trouble of exploiting the worst in our community instead of high-lighting the best?
Then I come to the last paragraph where Ms Mess states that "One day I'm like, 'Free Mumia' and other days I'm like, 'That n***** probably did it.' And I'm not afraid to admit it, and I'm not afraid to write about it."
Of course you're 'not afraid to write about it', you are aware that there is an audience for just such words: The FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) for one will probably use your words in some of their propaganda and I'm sure that will make you proud.
Self-serving pseudo journalism at it's worst.
If you ever choose to be a responsible journalist, you will find that there is much information about Mumia Abu-Jamal's case, done by upstanding reporters who have DONE THEIR HOMEWORK, and are not looking for a pithy little ending.
Mumia's life is on the line, and for you to be so cavalier about it shows either your naivete, or your deliberate attempt to ingratiate yourself with those who are seeking to murder an innocent man.
If you find yourself looking for some excellent articles from a man whose body has been locked down for years, but whose mind and heart are as free as the wind, you can follow any of the links below for more information. I doubt you will, there's nothing 'sexy' about the truth.
Fatirah Aziz
http://www.freemumia.com/
www.prisonradio.org
http://www.emajonline.com/index.php?action=4&content_id=311
Jam Donaldson
jam@jamdonaldson.com
www.jamdonaldson.com
www.hotghettomess.com
Terry Glover, Managing Editor
Ebony Magazine
Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.
820 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60605
312-322-9200
tglover@ebony.com
The Ebony Magazine February 2010 article entitled: "Sisterspeak - Did I just CALL YOU OUT? YEP. I did. Deal with it. One writer tells the truth," by Jam Donaldson concludes by proclaiming, "One day I'm like, 'Free Mumia' and other days I'm like, 'That n***** probably did it.' And I'm not afraid to admit it, and I'm not afraid to write about it."
You succeeded in ending your article with controversy but was the pay-off worth carelessly toying with a man's life? This isn't a Gen-X'er spreading your wings in defiance of the status quo or clowning somebody for having their behind hanging out and rainbow-colored weave as you regularly do on the web, you made a flippant and highly irresponsible condemnation purely for shock value!
"Free Mumia" is not a catchprase to be spouted according to your mood swings and supposings, nor a litmus test by which you should make reckless statements as a way to poke out your chest and feel special. To believe that Mumia should be free is to fight to uncover the truth that has been smothered by the courts for 28+ years. It's not about a gimmick for your self-promotion by using Mumia's name for flava, hype or to raise your google-ability -- this is a demand for a constitutionally guaranteed fair trial before a jury of ones peers instead of a hate-filled feeding frenzy of racism, coerced testimony, fabricated, distorted and hidden evidence. It's about trying to get justice in a court where an entire police union (FOP) carries picket signs in protest and packs hearings with t-shirts emblazoned with "Fry Mumia" over their highly visible guns -- before a judge who himself is a lifetime FOP member! It's about an outrageous frame-up of a Black man who the COINTELPRO targeted as early as his teenage years.
This zinger with which you ended your article crosses the line from an attempt at being clever to an outright attack. The slightest bit of research would have shown you that at this very critical juncture in history Mumia is in the midst of extremely intensified court pressures and the campaign to release him is in the midst of a knockdown, drag-out battle to stop his legalized lynching! Unfortunately your witless assertion now carries weight because it has been so incredibly elevated by Ebony magazine, of all places! The appalling way in which you chose to end your piece may have given you a smirk of personal satisfaction but the only people you have impressed are those who are salivating at the prospect of murdering Mumia, or don't you get that?
As for Ebony magazine, has your more than half-century of publishing come down to this, such a desperate yearning to attract young readership that you showcase an article that debases a Black man fighting for his life on death row as a "NIGGER" (why bother with the asterisks at all?)! Is that really where it's at with Ebony nowadays? Freedom of expression is one thing, but gross negligence is quite another! As one of the most well-respected Black publications in the US and world, surely you must realize that much of Black America views the case against Mumia with a healthy amount of skepticism, not to mention his being an internationally recognized author, scholar and champion of human rights. Someone with maturity should have pointed out to this "blogger and cultural commentator" that this was an extremely reckless and slanderous statement to make regarding anyone at all, let alone a colleague and fellow practicing journalist!
Right now there is a major campaign to urge Attorney General Eric Holder to open a civil rights investigation into the frame-up of Mumia. Ebony Magazine should agree to maintain at least the appearance of fairness and give space to the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal to provide balance to this smear against Mumia which you printed in your publication. They must, at the very least, be given the opportunity to discuss the current state of the campaign to free Mumia and be able to point your readers toward resources to reach their own opinions regarding his case as soon as possible to refute Ms. Donaldson's commentary.
Marpessa Kupendua
Mumia Abu-Jamal on-line resources:
International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal: www.freemumia.com
Academics for Mumia: http://www.emajonline.com/index.php?action=4&content_id=311
Information and Analysis: http://abu-jamal-news.com/
Some of Mumia's journalism: http://www.prisonradio.org/mumia.htm
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