i Serving Eastem North Carolina Since 1981 Aug 9, 2002 = Aug 23, 2002 FREE Millions For Reparations Mass Rally And Political Prisoners by Conrad W. Worrill, The Challenger The Millions for Reparations Mass rally was held on August 17, in Washington D.C., the 115th anniversary of the birth of the Honorable Marcus Garvey One of the critical demands of the reparations movement is the release of African-in-America political prisoners, an issue that often vets swept aside in our demands. This should not be. There are many sisters and brothers who have sacrificed much for the liberation of African people in America and are locked up unjustly in America and are political prisoners. ‘ When we discuss political prisoners, we are talking about “those persons harassed, arrested, framed, and imprisoned because of their relatively peaceful political activity against the destructive conditions that their people live under.” The goal of our political prisoners has been “to transfer power from the corrupt and racist business people, government officials, pseudo intellectuals, policemen, judges, and jailers, and keep them — -down to a captive nation of people to be free.” We should all be aware that Marcus Garvey, Dr. Martin | A ATIONS Nok Luther King Jr. the Honorable Elijah “uhammad, Sister Callie House, and Huey P. Newton spent time REP $ in jail because they fought for our freedom, just as Brother Mumia Abu Jamal remains a political prisoner Beet. for his uncompromising political journalism. The origin of the campaign that has KINGDOMS 22-427" Re 9 Pe pF RICA ROYED! 4 NA ~ OVERPGTANC, . : aa ERE, resulted in the more than 100 women and men who are locked up in America as political prisoners, 0 co many of them African Americans, is related to the “secret war” that was waged against the Black | _ Sent FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in the 1960s 9 > 4 Nad it f= 5 SSS - Liberation Movement by the FBI. and *70s led this campaign, an illegal and top-secret onslaught called the “Counterintelligence Organizations.” Its goal was to disrupt, (COINTELPRO) program that targeted black activists and dismantle, discredit, and neutralize black groups and leaders, thus seriously crippling our movement. That is why it is important for African They were successful. people in America to join the reparations movement and help rebuild the Black Liberation Movement. |; must be the freedom of our political prisoners , One of our critical demands of the reparations movement The Jericho Movement explains “The issue | 3/4 and prisoners of war. of whether or not political prisoners and prisoners of war exist inside the borders of the United States of 3) has successfully been able to refute. They have America is one that the government of the United States 3 been able to deny the existence of political prisoners and prisoners of war because we have not taken the We began publicly addressing the issue of . A EEL. ALY), battle to them and forced them to address this issue.” a ee SS x" Jax WAG het our political prisoners, in a massive wi. on August 17th. at the Millions For Reparations Mass Rally and MAS te mY PERS } ignited, educated, and inspired our people to expand the reparations movement to include, as a key , "ey yy Wis In this context, the Jericho Movement Qo 4/ ff Component, our political prisoners. NW 4; Bers further explains that there “are brothers and sisters. men and women who, as a consequence of their Ne | a criminal charges, arrested, or captured, tried in . ~~ a i fe rea political work or organizational affiliations were given —-" courts and sent to prison. While trying them as criminals, the government maintained files on them refer- encing their political activities, designed to insure they remain in prison.” We must expose this tactic by the US government in our demands that our political prisoners be freed. ™~ ~ The reparations movement must be more energetic in demanding and calling for the release of our political prisoners and prisoners of war. They include Jalil Bottom, Charles Sims Africa, Debbi Sims Africa, Herman Bell, Kojo Sababu, Lorenzo Stone Bey. Mark Cook, Mumia Abu Jamal, Mutulu Shakur. Ojore Lutalo, Phil Africa, Richard Mafundi Lake, Robert Seth Hayes, Sekou Kambui, Sundiata Acoli, and Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. It is only fitting that we remind ourselves that the Honorable Marcus Garvey was one of our first political prisoners targeted by the US vovernment. indicted on the trumped-up charges of mail fraud and convicted. The masses of our people in the mid 1920s demanded Garvey’s release from prison, In 1927, more than 100,000 African people demonstrated and protested that he be released. Garvey was released in 1927 and deported-from ihe United States as a condition of release. We must remember Marcus Garvey in our demands to free our political prisoners. They have sacrificed much for us. August 17th was the day we demanded from the US government what “they owe us,” and let them know, “It’s time to pay up!” Conrad Worrill is national chairman of the National Black United Front / NBUF. located at 12817 S Ashland Ave. Floor 1, Calumet Park, IL, 60827 Contact him by phone at (708) 389-9929; fax (708) 389-9819; or email: nbufchi'a allways.net. Visit the NBUF's website at: nbufront.org. Five of the reasons the de- scendants of the éaptives warrant compensation They owe us {61 |. The transatlantic slave trade and slavery: The United Nations World Conference Against Racism declared that the transatlantic slave trade and slavery were against humanity. s against humanity have no statute of limitations 2. Expropriation o labor: For more than 2° for free. Our free labor v major. ingredient in the build- ing of America and its wealth as a nation. Alse 1e thousands of white als and their families lated wealth that con nefit them as a result of our free labor. 3. Slave code laws The slave owners developed their own codes of what the could do to enslaved Af people in America tha meated throughout the e gence of this countn many ways, informal codes exist today [racial p:o- iiling]}. 4. Destruction of the African family: The transit ¢ lantic slave trade and slave \ had a devastating impac destroying and dismantl) African families 4 Centuries of misedu cation and Mental atrocities This has caused serious da age to our people. continues to cause much men- tal confusion about « reality as an African and around Deadlines to register to vote in North Carolina The deadline to register to vote in this State is 25 days before the day of the election. Forms that are re- ceived by the county board of elections office or postmarked by the deadline are ac- cepted as valid ap- plications for the upcoming __ elec- tion. Also, agency and DMV voter registration trans- actions that are completed by the deadline are ac- cepted as valid for the upcoming elec- tion. Applicants will be notified by the county board of elections of Praise in the city . . .. Greenville Mayor, Don Parrot, gives the keys to the city to Bishop Patterson, the Presiding Bishop of the Church of God In Christ, at the Greater North Carolina Jurisdictional Convocation which was held at the new Greenville Convention Center. (see inside) Photo by Jim Rouse HOUSE SEAT DISTRICT #8 PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT JIM ROUSE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DIST. #8 Today, more than ever, we are in need of dedicated people to get involved with all decisions being made about the communities in which we live and to bring forth new ideas that address those important their precinct and issues that affect our citizens. fin Rouse polling place as- ~~ signments. \ en AD dt Rally Rally Rally, . ., Bro Britt ( extreme left ) stands beside Christine L. Fitch who is running for the U.S. House District 1 seat along withother supporters at a rally for her campaign. Run Christine Run a photo by Jim Rouse ’ » , iat