Bryant Arroyo for Prison Radio, in collaboration with Robert Sanders, aka, Jazz the Poet
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Since the government fails to represent
by employing officials with evil intent,
Lives are destroyed, ripped apart, and torn.
Uprisings erupt.
Revolutionaries are born.
Decades ago energetic, blessed with youth.
Mumia adamantly searched for truth.
Eventually finding international solidarity
In collaboration with the Black Panther Party
As an advocate for Blacks under duress,
The voiceless, impoverished, and oppressed.
Instilled with a vision of transformation,
Mumia attempted to heal an unjust nation.
Unveiled corruption by political misfits,
Exposed authorities considered illegitimate,
Challenged racial injustice and inequality,
Helped feed children swallowed by poverty.
Mumia is a man with an abundance of talent,
Dedicated, articulate, extremely intelligent.
Served as president of Black Journalists Association,
Commentator, and host of various radio stations.
Also a columnist with outstanding brilliance,
Conveyor of truth, despite the consequence.
After the barbaric mutilation of the Move organization,
Mumia blatantly criticized the police administration
Causing a separation of himself and the radio station.
In 1981 Mumia is arrested and charged with murder
For allegedly killing a Philadelphia police officer.
Millions marched and protested in many cities.
High-profile cases create chaos and controversy.
In 1982 convicted and sentenced to a death penalty,
Relentlessly he claims his innocence,
Continuously, during the years of being confined inside.
Numerous appeals were rejected and denied.
In 1995 his death sentence overturned and vacated.
So, nearly fourteen years, Mumia has been isolated.
In cells of solitude, twenty-three hours per day,
Deliberately ignored by judges and DA’s.
The trial involved misconduct and much discrepancy,
Which proves the conviction is unjustly.
Amnesty International stated the trial was unfair.
Sadly, their testimony fell upon deaf ears.
After thirty-five years, Mumia remains a diligent fighter,
An award-winning author and eloquent writer.
His books and documentaries have awakened society
To the inhumane treatment he receives in captivity.
After thirty-five years of torture and incarceration,
The DOC is denying Mumia proper medication,
Which confirms we live in an unjust nation.
One day, the judges who served injustice to you
Will be judged for their crimes too.
Outro: The voice and the face inside the nation of prisoners, Bryant Arroyo for Prison Radio, in collaboration with Robert Sanders, aka Jazz the Poet.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
