Greetings, my friends at the NLG. On a move. Congratulations to all the honorees at this year’s convention. Shout out to Sister Soffiyah Elijah, a freedom fighter in the law. She laughs when I tell her I thought she was a Jewish woman years ago.
What does Noelle Hanrahan bring to the table, besides her relentless energy honed on the basketball courts of Stanford? She brings a vision, actualized in Prison Radio, which performs a unique function. It breaks down walls. It brings the voices of the damned, the imprisoned, the oppressed and the dispossessed to you, to millions in America. That, in a time when presidential candidates clamor to build yet more walls is a prodigious and noble feat in itself that deserves your plaudits and praise.
For as many of you have heard me say a hundred times before, America is the prison house of nations. Anything that pulls bricks out of that monstrosity should be applauded. She is, too, a dogged researcher who, as a licensed private investigator, digs into the detritus of the criminal justice system to uncover evidence of violations of the constitution and laws that judges swear to uphold. For this, too, she deserves your kudos.
Thank you for your time. To all your honorees, congratulations. And Noelle? Nicely done. From imprisoned nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
