Major D.C. March For Mumia

The Campaign delivered tens of thousands of letters and signatures back in November. Since then, the U.S Supreme Court refused to hear the imperiled journalist’s appeal.

[On National Justice]

On Monday, April 26th, Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz, the national chairman of the New Black Panther Party, will join the legions of people coming into Washington, DC, demanding that the Justice Department intervene in the very troubled case of Mumia Abu Jamal.

They will first host a 11:30a.m. press conference at the NY Avenue Presbyterian Church, located at 1313 New York Avenue, and then march to the Justice Department at 1p.m. to deliver an additional 20,000 letters and petitions demanding the Justice Department intervention.

Among those expected to appear Monday are Pam Africa, an incredible organizer who has held this effort together for decades now from its inception, Dr. Marvin Cheathem, head of the Baltimore chapter of the NAACP, the largest branch of the now
100 year old civil rights organization, world reknown progressive hip hop artist Immortal Technique, Nirelle Fanon Mendes-France, daughter of the late revolutionary icon Frantz Fanon, capturing the truly international character of this effort.

Clergy representation will include Sara Nolan of the United Church of Christ, Rev. Patsy Jenkins of New York’s legendary Riverside Church, for their prison justice ministry, and Rev. Luis Barrios, affectionately known as “the people’s priest”
throughout progressive circles.

Lawyers, Martha Conley of Pittsburgh and Thomas Ruffin of Washington, DC, who have been working hard on the effort, will do the legal oversight of the effort. Other activists expected include Larry Holmes of the Bail Out the People Movement and DC-based activist Ayesha Fleary of the Black is Back Coalition.

The Campaign delivered tens of thousands of letters and signatures back in November. Since then, the U.S Supreme Court refused to hear the imperiled journalist’s appeal.

The plight of Black political prisoners in the United States, most of whom were Black Panthers targeted by the government’s notorious COINTELPRO operations in the late 1960s and the early 1970s, is an important stated concern for the New Black
Panther Party, as is plainly and boldly articulated in the 9th point of their 10 point platform and program.

“The right wing is trying to get the Justice Department to come after us,” explained Zayid Muhammad, the Party’s national minister of culture, referring to the obsession with some over the dismissal of the investigation into the Philadelphia ‘voter
intimidation’ controversy of 2008.

“We should be getting the Justice Department to free Mumia from this upsouth lynch mob and to intervene on  how COINTELPRO railroaded dozens of activists into prison for life sentences in most cases and get them the hell out after all these years,” he finished emphatically.

The Party is now preparing for its national Black Power Convention to be held in Atlanta on Memorial Day Weekend.

For more information on the day’s activities, call (215) 476 8812 or (212) 330 8029. For more information on the Party, please call 201 602 0780.

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