In celebration of African Heritage Month, for Profiles in Excellence, we honor: William Parker was the central figure in the Christiana rebellion of September 11th, 1851 in Pennsylvania. Together with other members of the local self-defense group, Parker and others fought back when slave catchers and federal marshals descended on their home that day. When Parker refused to turn over escaped slaves to Maryland slaver Edward Gorsuch, the latter threatened, “My property I will have or I’ll breakfast in hell.” Parker took him at his word.
The two fought bitterly, across the road and back again, Parker would later write, until both were dizzy. But they fought on, for freedom was too dear to give up. They never did. They drove back the slave catchers, leaving two in the dust. They made their way to Canada, out of reach of the hated American fugitive slave law. The Christiana Rebellion was considered the harbinger of the war to come, the Civil War. For Hard Knock Radio, and Prison Radio, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noel Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
