Mumia
Abu-Jamal's Radio Broadcasts
The
Move 9; 26 yrs. in Hell
[Col. Recorded
8/8/04]
WHAT A
FAMILY WE ARE WHEN WE'RE ONE FORCE, ONE UNIT, A POWERFUL FORCE
THAT NO SYSTEM CAN EQUAL, FOR WE HAVE THE POWER OF LIFE AS OUR
ALLY, MY MAMA, OUR MAMA, THE LIFE FORCE OF MOVE, NO DIVISIONAL
THING CAN EVER DEFEAT US AS LONG AS WE HONOR THE GRIP OF THE FAMILY
....
*John Africa*, MOVE Founder
For 26 years
now, a group of revolutionaries known as the MOVE 9, have been encaged
within prisons all across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all
of whom face continuing sentences of 100 years, despite evidence
of their innocence.
These men and
women are all members of the MOVE Organization, who were captured,
dragged through a show trial in Philadelphia Courts, and sentenced
to a century in cages by the notorious Judge Edwin Malmed, who when
asked, in a talk show radio interview to name those who were guilty
of the crime of murder (of which all 9 were convicted), replied,
"I haven't the faintest idea."
This writer
knows this because it was I who asked him that question, and I who
received the astonishing answer, on the air!
He would tell
other reporters, "They were tried as a family, and I sentenced
them as a family." It would seem that a more accurate response
would be, 'I sentenced them because they *are* a family.'
They were convicted
of being united, not in crime, but in rebellion against the system
and in resistance to the armed assaults of the State.
They were convicted
of being MOVE members.
Here's why I
say that: On August 8th, 1978, when the police unleashed an armed
assault on MOVE's home and headquarters in West Philadelphia, it
ended the assault with the arrest of not 9 young men and women,
but 12. Several of the women, young mothers, were, quite understandably,
terrorized by the kind of violence they saw by the police, and quietly
left the MOVE Organization. As soon as they renounced their memberships
in MOVE, charges against them were dropped! Why, unless their very
'crimes' were nothing more than membership?
Understand that
none of the MOVE women were charged with weapons offenses, yet all
of them were sentenced identically to the men, who were given weapons
charges.
For 26 years, both MOVE men and women of the MOVE 9, have continued
their work, by living according to the Teachings of John Africa,
despite their cruel incarcerations. Many are indeed Ministers of
that Teaching, and work to counsel people in the prisons who are
trying to withstand the onslaught of repression.
On March 13th,
1998, the brave and brilliant Merle Africa had her life stolen by
20 years in state dungeons. To many, many women in the prison system,
she is remembered for her warmth and caring, but also for her spirit
of resistance to prison injustices. Her death did not stop her spirit,
which radiated through all who knew her, whether in, or out, of
prison.
On August 8th,
1978, MOVE folks were protecting themselves from a vicious, premeditated,
police and paramilitary act of urban war upon their home and offices.
Under what America claims is its 'law', one has an alleged right
to self-defense. But, when people actually do so, they are given
all kinds of nasty names by the corporate media.
Not surprisingly,
when the State hurts people, when they shoot people, when they *bomb*
people (as they did to MOVE on May 13th, 1985!) they are never called
nasty names. They are simply 'doing their jobs.' That's OK.
MOVE members
from the August 8th attack are still fighting for their freedom
26 years later. They are: Janine Africa, Phil Africa, Janet Africa,
Delbert Africa, Debbie Africa, Mike Africa, Chuck Africa and Eddie
Africa.
Surely, 26 years
is long enough! Join the Movement to Free the MOVE 9. Join the growing
Friends of MOVE, which are literally, people from around the world.
Copyright 2004 Mumia Abu-Jamal
Copyright
2004 Mumia Abu-Jamal
For additional
information and to order We Want Freedom, visit:
southendpress.org
Check out Mumia's
NEW book:
"Faith of Our Fathers: An Examination of the Spiritual Life
of African and African-American People" at www.africanworld.com
The Power of Truth
is Final — Free Mumia!
PLEASE CONTACT:
International Concerned Family & Friends of MAJ
P.O. Box 19709
Philadelphia, PA 19143
Phone - 215-476-8812/ Fax - 215-476-6180
E-mail - AND
OFFER YOUR SERVICES!
Send our brotha
some LOVE and LIGHT at:
Mumia Abu-Jamal
AM 8335
SCI-Greene
175 Progress Drive
Waynesburg, PA 15370
WE WHO BELIEVE
IN FREEDOM CAN *NOT* REST!!
Submitted by:
Sis. Marpessa
Text
© copyright 2003 by Mumia Abu-Jamal.
All rights reserved.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
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