Pro Mumia Abu-Jamal Rally

                                                                                                            April 21, 2008

 

On Saturday morning, April 19, 2008 at 8:30 am, I was among two (2) bus loads of New York City Concerned Citizens I.E Activists, who traveled to Philadelphia, PA to demonstrate our collective support for freedom and Justice for Brother Mumia Abu Jamal. Who has been on Pennsylvania’s Death Row for a quarter of a century as a result of a racist trial climate including subordination of perjured testimony, corrupt police, exclusion of people of color from Jury pool, etc.

 

This day in April 2008, I was attending this rally as a representative of Picture the Homeless as such, my conduct and my outrage would have to be somewhat restrained, professional and above all lawful!

 

I must confess that I didn’t start this trip with an objective view. Over the years, due to both extensive study and my personal experience, I have developed a sixth “criminal injustice sense.” This Sixth sense has been instilled within the inner most part of my being as I was subjected to overt practices of racism within the criminal injustice system of New York State in the early 1960’s. This sixth sense even took on a smell of its own as I followed the case of my sister Angela Y. Davis__ manufactured to be “America’s Most Wanted.”

 

The Mumia Abu-Jamal case has that same sulfur-like aroma! It is the very same odor that engulfed New Haven, Connecticut during the trial of Brother Bobby Seale! You see, in the mid-sixties, I couldn’t carry a “Free Huey” sign in support of Brother Huey P. Newton, due to the fact that I was in D block at Attica State Prison where New York State had reduced my existence to a mere number #20024, however on this day my organization Picture the Homeless had helped me to evolve into an empowering position. There I was on Saturday, sharing a common cause with the peoples lawyer Ms. Lynne Stewart; the ex-congress lady from Atlanta, Georgia, who the status quo manipulated out of office, Ms. Cynthia McKenney. I thought as I took a sign from Sister Gwen! It said “Free Mumia Abu-Jamal” when one compares the parallels. The similar aspects between the cases of Huey P. Newton in the 60’s and the current case of our brother in the struggle Mumia Abu-Jamal__ over forty years have gone by and much too much remains the God-damn same_ In the Interim Period, the 10% of America that runs the undemocratic Think Tanks that implement more policy than our elected officials, these gate-owners have enjoyed too much peace while rendering no semblance of Justice for my people__

 

Being an Afro-American, Freedom Fighter, means being a Risk Taker__; it is always a dangerous and sometimes fatal occupation. Ask the late Fred Hampton and his comrade Bro. Mark!

 

Do you all- dimly recall-! No shots fired through the door or the wall from inside out all fired from outside in__ Do you all recall at all?

 

While some C.E.O’s are making over 400 times as much as rank and file workers “The ghost of the Dred Scott Mandate Stalk America” whether it’s California, Chicago or Philadelphia the Black people have no rights that whites are bound to respect rule is illegal but it is always in effect made so because it has become institutionalizes, part of the American fabric in this so-called land of the free_” America never was America to me”.

 

This is why a hard working black brother in Queens, N.Y. has been adjudicated to have no rights to defend his property or his family from a racist mob__ neither did his slave great-grandfather and yet through its main stream media. The American status quo says that race is no longer a problem. Only a global race program could cause simultaneous demise of the entire African Diaspora__ Read the crib news; read the Final Call; read the Amsterdam News. Read and be informed, organize to save yourself from subtle genocide.

 

I wonder if our legal team will be able to free Mumia, before the racist pigs claim that he had a weapon concealed in his dredlocks! George Jacksons Afro? And so based upon the historical facts that I have just eluded to, the criminal injustice establishment of America doesn’t have my trust or my good faith.

 

When I arrived in Philadelphia on Saturday, I found my reasons for concern were more than justified.

 

While we were staging our rally; while we were assembling our folks, Ms. Lynn Stewart spoke; we chanted “brick by brick; wall by wall- we gonna free Mumia Abu-Jamal” All of a sudden, a group of what appeared to be Philadelphia off-duty cops on their private motorcycles approached our staging area and revved their engines with a deafening roar, drowning out our speakers_ within full view of on-duty cops who did or said nothing at all! This act was played out at least twice that I can recall. This was done in a manner that was both intimidating and provocative! However, our security people kept the matter well in hand. The People’s lawyer; Ms. Lynn Stewart, just had spoke and the “New Black Panther Party” had spoke about civil disobedience and the art of disruption.

 

In another Anti-Rally Action, about three quarters of the way through our March in Central downtown Philadelphia_ about 20 Philadelphia cops were assembled on a state building lawn, where we passed on the sidewalk_ some had signs or posters with the enlarged badge of the officer Brother Jamal is accused of slaying held high; while other officers held posters saying “Mumia Abu Jamal and his supporters deserve to fry” with photos of the Philadelphia electric chair boldly displayed:

 

What is the mindset of public law enforcement officers who would render the death penalty without “due process of law” to those American citizens who are opposed to injustice and repression?

 

I returned back to New York more determined than ever to use my vocal chords and my pen for now in this struggle for social and economic justice: but the current establishment would do well to remember what it taught a sixteen year old Afro-American about the use of piano wire and the devastating mixture of Petro and gunpowder! But for now this 68 year old man will wage my struggle against all forms of state sponsored oppression from within the mission statement of my organization Picture the Homeless and currently my choice of weapons is “participatory democracy” B+D=P_ The Ballot plus the Dollar equals Power!

 

                                                                        Power to the People of America!

                                                                        Respectfully Submitted,

                                                                        Jean Rice