A Moment in History: Mumia Abu Jamal

      Who is Mumia Abu-Jamal? Voice of the Voiceless...Political prisoner since 1983. Mumia was the President of the Association of Black Journalists, founding member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Black Panther Party as a teenager and director of the Philadelphia station WHAT.  Mumia Abu-Jamal covered closely the operations of the MOVE Organization and called to attention the brutality and blatant injustice he watched happen to them.  MOVE is a revolutionary organization built on the principles of Life, Natural Law, Self Defense, and The System.
      On the night of December 9, 1981, Mumia (who happened to be a cab driver at the time) just finished dropping off a fare when he heard gunshots and turned around seeing his brother William Cook wounded in the street.  On his way to the scene he was shot by a uniformed police officer and began fading in and out of consciousness.  Police soon arrived and found Mumia and Officer Faulkner shot and dead. Police arrested Mumia and beat him severely on the way to the hospital (which was blocks away but took 30 minutes to arrive).
      In 1982, Mumia was put on trial and decided to act as his own attorney and have John Africa as his legal advisor, but before the jury selection began his decision was revoked and an attorney was appointed for him.  Evidence shows that there is no way possible that Mumia could have possibly shot and killed Faulkner that night. Mumia had a registered .38 caliber and Faulkner was killed with a .44 caliber, also the police failed to test Mumia's gun to see if it registered with gun residue.  False witnesses testified that Mumia was at the scene the time of the shooting and others came forward to see they saw two men fleeing the scene. However none of that was enough to convince the judge that Mumia Abu-Jamal was innocent. Judge Sabor found him guilty and sentenced him to death during the penalty phase based solely on his political beliefs.
      In 1999 Arnold Beverly confessed to killing Officer Faulkner....so why is Mumia still in prison? Does Beverly's confession mean nothing to the justice system? Why is there still an innocent man on death row for a crime he did not commit when the killer confessed?  Mumia is not the only political prisoner who remains in jail for their beliefs and crimes that they did not commit. When will the injustice end for those trying to unite a culture and awaken the masses to see more than what they hear?  Assata Shakur is in Cuba living under political asylum for a crime she did not commit in New Jersey in 1973, yet the state of New Jersey still has a $1 million bond on her head.
     What is truly amazing is how we yell Free Weezy! Free TIP! Free Boosie! NOOOO let them stay in jail for a crime they did commit and let's begin yelling Free Mumia! Free the MOVE 9! People who are innocent and stood up for what they believed in. This country and the people in it have a backwards way of thinking. We constantly prove that we are worried about the wrong things, yet do not support the people that really need our help.

A Moment in Time: September 15, 1963

September 15, 1963. "It could have been a regular day in the life of Americans everywhere.  Instead it became a day that would change their lives without mercy". Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Addie Mae Collins were four innocent children attending Sunday school when a bomb went off at 10 in the morning and the lives that awaited them were destroyed. Why would anyone want to bomb a church of all places? Sad to say this wouldn't be the first church bombing or the last, but why?

     There has to be something deeply rooted in the souls of these individuals that causes them to destroy the foundation and mutual ground between man and God.  The church serves as a place of not only spiritual renewal, but during that era is was also the base of operations for tired African Americans. Those who had to sit at the back of the bus, enter through the rear just to see a film, drinking from "colored" water fountains and explaining to their children why they couldn't eat at lunch counters.

       You see the church became just more than fellowship and praise, rather than sit at home and complain people would go to church and worship, get all of their worries out. Beyond going solely to hear the word, tithe, communion and enjoy the rest of the day, some even organized in churches and would gather with extended family in the "sanctuary".  The day of the bombing was a special day called Young Day and it was filled to capacity. More than 400 people were inside and 80 of those were children The bombing came at a time when desgregation in schools began to rise and many speculated that was the reason for the act. The bomb was set to explode in an empty basement, however the wall blew out near a room filled with children.

         The Civil Rights Era in America has to be one of the worst times in history. Main reason being it is the only recorded time of devastation and cruelty that has happened on American soil. Human beings were losing their lives based on the color of their skin. What did these four girls do to anyone that would have caused retaliation on this level? How can people hate an entire group based on what they look like, who have done nothing to harm or endanger those around them...where do these ignorant attitudes stem from? I only pray that whatever the future holds we do not repeat history and can learn to love one another [irregardless] of what they look like. Besides doesn't America preach freedom...

        "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain uninalienable rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...."

Civil Rights: A Dark Day

Malcom X meets Barack Obama

Saturday, August 21, 2010 Jacqueline Clay Chester presented "A Conversation between Malcolm X and President Barack Obama." I invited several of my friends to partake in this docu-play and to our surprise it was totally different than what we expected. Without any pre-conceived notions I believed the play would be about How Obama was doing in office, racial relations and the way Malcolm views the change American has taken on. SURPRISE! SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

The play actually talked about the background of the two men. Focusing more on what made them into the men they are/were. Jacqueline Clay Chester said she chose to not take a political standpoint between that's not what attracts her to the two subjects. She wanted to focus more on their comparisons and significant events that shaped them into leaders. For example both Malcolm X and Barack Obama are the product of an interracial relationship. Obama and Malcolm X lost their fathers at a young age and dealy heavily with the issue of the color of their skin.

I thought it was very informative for the simple fact that not many documentaries or people place emphasis on the past that has shaped their present. Everyone knows that Malcolm X was a muslim and had a deep rooted hatred for white people. But do they analyze the reasoning behind his madness and how towards the end of their death, he and Martin Luther King Jr., had similar thoughts. Or how Barack Obama was teased so badly because of his name he encouraged children to call him Barry.


However, I was kind of upset to find out that it would not go into racial relations and Baracks stance on certain situations. Situations such as the Oscar Grant trial and the killing of Aiyana Stanley-Jones. I was extremely pleased that Malcolm X and Barack Obama discussed both the impact of Jeremiah Wright and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad impact on their lives. Both men admitted to have looked at those individuals as father figures and were disappointed to have separated from them.


Jacqueline Clay Chester is looking to expand on the play with a part two and hopefully continue to travel to different cities. What would you say if you met Malcolm X or Barack Obama?


Malcolm X:

Moment in History: 19th Amendment Anniversary

Today marks the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment!!! Why is this so important? Well for those that don't know the 19th amendment prohibits states from denying US citizens the right to vote...and so did one of the previous amendments. Know which one?

"The right of citizens of the United States shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex"

It was ratified on August 18, 1920

A Moment in Time: Fred Hampton

"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution"

While sitting on the bus this morning a young lady walked past me with a t-shirt that bore the image of Fred Hampton. I was immediately reminded of the passion that he led with and the message he wanted to get across. Now if I was to ask 10 random people who Fred Hampton was, chances are I wouldn't receive an accurate response. So who is Fred Hampton and why must we still remember the legacy he left behind and the lives he tried to change? Fred Hampton was born in Chicago, Illinois and studied pre-law to become more familiar with the judicial system, and also use it as a defense against the police. Hampton began organizing young African Americans for the NAACP while the Black Panther Party started rising to national prominence.

Fred Hampton was quickly attracted to the BPP because of their ten point program which was a mixture of black self-determination and certain elements of Maoism. In November 1968 he joined the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (which was founded by a SNCC member - Bob Brown). During the time that Fred Hampton was apart of the BPP they made tremendous strides and amazing contributions in Chicago. One of Hamptons most significant achievments was the nonagression pact between Chicagos most powerful street gangs. He also organized weekly rallies, political education classes, and was significantly instrumental in the BPP Free Breakfast Program.

His charismatic ways enabled him to be a people person and caused him to be marked and targeted by the FBI. Long story short Fred Hampton was murdered by Chicago police for wanting to enrich the minds of African American children and spread love throughout the community. He was ready to do the un-thinkable...are you?

Check out the video

Juneteenth Celebration?

Yaaay Juneteenth!!! One of the few holidays that African Americans get to celebrate with the traditional BBQ and picnics, that actually pertain to the people. I have witnessed so many people participate in the St. Patties Day activities and Cinco De Mayo but what about June 19? For those that don't know June 19 is the day observed for African American independence in the Unites States and beyond. On June 19 1865, the Union soldiers arrived in Galveston to make the announcement that the war had finally ended and all the slaves were free. But wait, what happened with the Emancipation Proclamation? wasn't that the end all to slavery?

The Emancipation Proclamation was a document that was divided into two halves. The first half emancipated slaves in the Confederate states that did not return to Union control by January 1, 1863. The second half identified 10 specific states where the Proclamation would apply. There are several stories to explain why there is a 2 year delay between the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth but none of them have validity. What it sounds like to me is the state of Texas just wanted a couple more years of free slave labor.

With all that being said Juneteenth needs to be recognized and celebrated worldwide. Not just by African Americans but people of all nations and color. To celebrate Cinco De Mayo and be ignorant of Juneteenth says so much about the people in America. What is even more surprising is that the great city of Atlanta, (which is a civl rights stomping ground) does nothing to commemorate the day as well. However, there are places like Texas and Minneapolis who have festivities planned and not only celebrate that day but an entire week. For a list of whats going on check this out