Celebrate Mumia's April 24th birthday by organizing for his release!!!
Given that his birthday falls on Easter, we're holding an event the night before on Saturday April 23rd
Questioning Incarceration:
Saturday April 23
Doors open at 7:30 pm
at
Sanctuary Wholistic Arts
2737 Cambridge Street
Philadelphia, PA
(a donation will be collected to cover the costs of the space)
...............................................
Help us organize this event:
A coalition representing activists from Jericho, Human Rights Coaliiton, International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia, and more will meet to plan an event on April 23 connecting advocacy and support of political prisoners and war resisters. Work with us to create a cultural event strategically pointing towards unity and release!
This event is also in honor of Mumia's April 24 birthday. If you can't join us, consider holding an event in Mumia's honor and share the details with ICFFMAJ@aol.com!
Planning meeting at
A Space, 4722 Baltimore Avenue
Thursday April 7
6-7 pm
Contact: maigamilbourne@yahoo.com
215 687 1147
Updates posted by our A Space friends at http://the-aspace.org/
Monday, April 04, 2011
Letter Writing to Mumia, "Black and Blue" Film Showing & Political Discussions
The PSP Black/New Afrikan History & Culture Class: Updates & Support For Our Exiles-PP/POWs Presents Its Monthly:
George L. Jackson - Mumia Abu Jamal:
Political Prisoner Harlem Letter Writing Dinner
Wednesday, April 6th In Harlem
6:00pm - 9:00pm
at
The Guillermo Morales- Assata Shakur Center at
City College Of New York
NAC - Building: Room 3-201
W.138th Street (Bet. Amsterdam & Convent Avenues)
Info. Contact- Bro. Shep: (212) 650-5008 or Panthershepcat@aol.com
Program Schedule
6:00pm-7:00pm:
Political Prisoner Film Screening & Discussion Of
"Black & Blue: The MOVE 9"
7:00pm-7:30pm:
A Collective Reading Of The Individual PP/POW Responses To Our Cards & Letters
7:30pm-9:00pm:
Sponsored By: The Peoples Survival Program (PSP) and The Guillermo Morales-Assata Shakur Community & Student Center @ CCNY
George L. Jackson - Mumia Abu Jamal:
Political Prisoner Harlem Letter Writing Dinner
Wednesday, April 6th In Harlem
6:00pm - 9:00pm
at
The Guillermo Morales- Assata Shakur Center at
City College Of New York
NAC - Building: Room 3-201
W.138th Street (Bet. Amsterdam & Convent Avenues)
Info. Contact- Bro. Shep: (212) 650-5008 or Panthershepcat@aol.com
Program Schedule
6:00pm-7:00pm:
Political Prisoner Film Screening & Discussion Of
"Black & Blue: The MOVE 9"
7:00pm-7:30pm:
A Collective Reading Of The Individual PP/POW Responses To Our Cards & Letters
7:30pm-9:00pm:
- Collective Letter writing to the "MOVE 9" political prisoners
- April & Belated March Birthday Card collective signings for US Captured PP/POWs
- PP/POW Updates & Event Announcements
- Traditional Southern, Caribbean, Afrikan "Pot Luck" Meal (Please bring a dish or beverage to share)
Sponsored By: The Peoples Survival Program (PSP) and The Guillermo Morales-Assata Shakur Community & Student Center @ CCNY
From our German comrades re the "Meet and Greet the Lawyers",
What a brilliant evening that was - congratulations.
Some of us stayed up til late at night to watch the event. Here is what they wrote in english for a german indymedia website:
An evening with Mumia's new legal team
(Harlem, NYC) Mumia Abu-Jamal's legal defense gained strength a couple of weeks ago, when the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) officially joined his defense. Although lawyers of the LDF have been members of the team for several years already they now take on the leading role in the legal struggle to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. On April 3 the newly formed defense team presented themselves to an audience of 150 in Riverside Church in New York.
The LDF looks back on a long history of successful legal litigations in the civil rights campaign in the US. The new legal team for Mumia involves Johanna Steinberg, Vincent Southerland, Judith Ritter and Christina Swarns. They are accompanied by two speakers who will speak publically for them in the future, too.
The event took off with speeches by activists of the US Free Mumia movement. Greetings went out to many people who sometimes had traveled far to join the event.
Attorney Judith Ritter spoke on Mumia Abu-Jamal's long case history and pointing out the renewed danger of the death penalty against him.
Mumia himself called from death row and answering questions from the audience. Listeners were very enthusiatic about being able to direct contact with Mumia and he seemed clearly moved himself.
Attorney Christina Swarns gave an historic overview on racism in society and the justice system up until today in connection to the way, Mumia has been treated by the system.
She started by explaining the historic roots of legal executions. The death penalty in the US is a direct descendant of slavery and the following practice of lynching, especially in the south of the country. This became notorious in the era of "reconstruction". As the criticism of these racist murders increased, the death penalty then "legally" replaced mob lynchings. Looking at the numbers of executions in the US today it is obvious, that they mostly take place in the former strongholds of lynching.
The purpose of the death penalty is the same as the klan lynchings of the past: to keep millions of African Americans in their place and force them to accept segregtion and expolitation. It is a method of social control which clearly demonstrates, that it is predominantly race, that dictates in court who is going to live and who is going to die. Christina Swarns: "The death penalty is a weapon of social control".
Another aspect is the different treatment of black and white murder victims. While half or all murder victims in the country are black, the offenders are not executed very often. If there is a white murder victim, executions take place very often, though.
Swarns went on to describe legal procedures and the endemic manipulations of juries all around the country, describing how African Americans are regulary manoeuvered out of juries by deliberate tactics on the part of district Attourneys. But judges and federal courts also systematically legalize such practices, as every one can see in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The media also played an important part in racist legal procedures. Prior to the Abu-Jamal trial in 1982 Philadelphia's media covered extensively Mumia's previous affiliations with the Black Panther Party and with the Association of Black Journalists, mentioning his sympathetic coverage of MOVE or commenting on his dread lock hair style. They made sure that race played a role in this case from the outset and diverted public observation away from the facts of what actually happened on December 9, 1981.
Christina Swarns concluded, that Mumia's case is one the most important ones in the fight against the death penalty in the US today. Thus, the LDF is committed in saving him from execution and winning his freedom.
Afterwards $1500 in donations were collected for the legal defense team of Mumia.
Appr. 150 people joined the event in the Harlem Riverside Church in NYC. You can watch the recording of the live stream on http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13759567# The event then starts from 1:02.25
The event was organized by the New York Free Mumia coalition together with Mumia's legal defense.
http://de.indymedia.org/2011/04/304029.shtml
Some of us stayed up til late at night to watch the event. Here is what they wrote in english for a german indymedia website:
An evening with Mumia's new legal team
(Harlem, NYC) Mumia Abu-Jamal's legal defense gained strength a couple of weeks ago, when the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) officially joined his defense. Although lawyers of the LDF have been members of the team for several years already they now take on the leading role in the legal struggle to free Mumia Abu-Jamal. On April 3 the newly formed defense team presented themselves to an audience of 150 in Riverside Church in New York.
The LDF looks back on a long history of successful legal litigations in the civil rights campaign in the US. The new legal team for Mumia involves Johanna Steinberg, Vincent Southerland, Judith Ritter and Christina Swarns. They are accompanied by two speakers who will speak publically for them in the future, too.
The event took off with speeches by activists of the US Free Mumia movement. Greetings went out to many people who sometimes had traveled far to join the event.
Attorney Judith Ritter spoke on Mumia Abu-Jamal's long case history and pointing out the renewed danger of the death penalty against him.
Mumia himself called from death row and answering questions from the audience. Listeners were very enthusiatic about being able to direct contact with Mumia and he seemed clearly moved himself.
Attorney Christina Swarns gave an historic overview on racism in society and the justice system up until today in connection to the way, Mumia has been treated by the system.
She started by explaining the historic roots of legal executions. The death penalty in the US is a direct descendant of slavery and the following practice of lynching, especially in the south of the country. This became notorious in the era of "reconstruction". As the criticism of these racist murders increased, the death penalty then "legally" replaced mob lynchings. Looking at the numbers of executions in the US today it is obvious, that they mostly take place in the former strongholds of lynching.
The purpose of the death penalty is the same as the klan lynchings of the past: to keep millions of African Americans in their place and force them to accept segregtion and expolitation. It is a method of social control which clearly demonstrates, that it is predominantly race, that dictates in court who is going to live and who is going to die. Christina Swarns: "The death penalty is a weapon of social control".
Another aspect is the different treatment of black and white murder victims. While half or all murder victims in the country are black, the offenders are not executed very often. If there is a white murder victim, executions take place very often, though.
Swarns went on to describe legal procedures and the endemic manipulations of juries all around the country, describing how African Americans are regulary manoeuvered out of juries by deliberate tactics on the part of district Attourneys. But judges and federal courts also systematically legalize such practices, as every one can see in the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The media also played an important part in racist legal procedures. Prior to the Abu-Jamal trial in 1982 Philadelphia's media covered extensively Mumia's previous affiliations with the Black Panther Party and with the Association of Black Journalists, mentioning his sympathetic coverage of MOVE or commenting on his dread lock hair style. They made sure that race played a role in this case from the outset and diverted public observation away from the facts of what actually happened on December 9, 1981.
Christina Swarns concluded, that Mumia's case is one the most important ones in the fight against the death penalty in the US today. Thus, the LDF is committed in saving him from execution and winning his freedom.
Afterwards $1500 in donations were collected for the legal defense team of Mumia.
Appr. 150 people joined the event in the Harlem Riverside Church in NYC. You can watch the recording of the live stream on http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/13759567# The event then starts from 1:02.25
The event was organized by the New York Free Mumia coalition together with Mumia's legal defense.
http://de.indymedia.org/2011/04/304029.shtml
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