Who I am and what I hate by Kevin Cooper. I, Kevin Cooper, am an innocent African American man on death row at San Quentin prison. I am not now, nor have I ever been, a racist. Nor do I now, or have I ever, disliked any person because the color of their skin, their religion or their sexual orientation. I have never disliked a person because of their class or their uniqueness, or any other thing that makes them different than me. I have never disliked a person just because he or she may be a police officer, prison guard, military personnel or even a judge. If there is an exception to this rule, I most definitely say I hate executioners. While I must admit that I, as a mere human being, have met certain people who, for one reason or another I do not like, or felt uncomfortable around, that does not mean that I disliked them or wanted to harm them. This is the type of person that I am.
I also am a abolitionist, against a death penalty and a fighter for human rights. As such, I, like most, not all, but most real abolitionists and people who fight for our collective human rights, hate oppression. I hate oppression. I don’t care who’s doing the oppressing. I hate it. I hate oppression from the Black man just as much, or maybe more, than I hate it from the white man. It’s not the color of a person’s skin, but the oppression that comes from his or her heart, mind, soul, body and being. This is the truth about who I am and what I hate, and don’t let anybody tell you anything different. In struggle and solidarity from death row at San Quentin prison, I’m Kevin Cooper.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
