Mumia’s reading of his essays were recorded by phone and in person on one of the most severely restricted death rows in the country. Also included are Mumia’s broadcasts made prior to his incarceration in 1979-81 for many stations including WRTI, WHAT, WUHY, WWDB, WDAS, and NPR. Published in 2001
1. I was Born With Two Tongues
2. The Rap Thing
You remind me of my jeep, I wanna wax you baby. You remind me of my bank account, I wanna spend you babe. That’s from “You Remind Me of Something” by R. Kelly. The song… Full Transcript
3. Public Schools and Public Housing
Mr. Augustus Baxter is a member of the school board of Philadelphia, which has, at this point in time, a majority of students who are Black. That exact percentage is close to 70%. My question… Full Transcript
4. Ruby Dee Why A War On The Poor
Mumia Abu-Jamal’s words have been censored. Prison officials have banned his voice. And so I will read to you one of his essays. “The rich rob the poor, and the poor rob each other,” Sojourner… Full Transcript
5. Defense For The Prosecution
Imagine a trial where the defense lawyer sleeps during the proceedings. Unfortunately, one doesn’t have to imagine, for a number of people now know about quite a few cases where lawyers have slept in court… Full Transcript
6. Rubin Hurricane Carter
The writ of habeas corpus is the most precious gift that exists in this criminal justice system. The writ of habeas corpus is our individual key to that freedom. And the politicians have so whittled… Full Transcript
7. Assata Shakur
I’m Assata Shakur. The first time I heard a tape of one of Mumia’s radio broadcasts, it was the first time I fully understood why the United States government was so intent on putting him… Full Transcript
8. Marc Bamuthi Joseph
I am one of those revolutionary poets. Hmm. Wield similes as shields, conceal steel in mixed metaphors. I am so fly. The consummate that will consonant whore, I love the pounds and praise when I… Full Transcript
9. Police Shooting
Speaker 1 No I’m just talking about, like, what happened tonight. Speaker 2 I turned the corner. Here’s the police standing with a big ol’ stick. And he had it drawn back as though like,… Full Transcript
10. Manhood
Read by Micheal Franti The notion of manhood, is an elastic one that changes and develops over time. At a very young age, black males learn from their interaction with others, that something is amiss.… Full Transcript
11. The Wheels Of Soul
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Jerry is a spokesman for the Wheels of Soul, a motorcycle club in West Philadelphia. Give me some background historical look at the forces that created the Wheels of Soul. Jerry: The club… Full Transcript
12. Youth News Magazine
Speaker 1Amnesty International just released a report that was pretty grim about children suffering for their parents political belief in countries around the world. And I liked it your feeling on international year of the… Full Transcript
13. Lost Generation
Recent published reports have lamented the fact that Afro-American youth are remarkably resistant and virtually unresponsive to traditional big-name public relations and big-time sports figures when they utilize the major media to attempt to communicate… Full Transcript
Unbound Project Allstars “Mumia 911”
What he said was so clear, so true that I had to stop everything and concentrate on his message. You need Masters in biology, zoologyTo overtake Illuminati tricknologyTransform, reciprocate your mental stateNow make a date,… Full Transcript
NPR: Carter Reagan Campaign VA
Good evening from National Public Radio in Washington. I’m Linda Wertheimer. And I’m Bob Edwards with All Things Considered. Edwards: Both President Carter and Ronald Reagan will campaign in Virginia today. Mumia Abu-Jamal reports on… Full Transcript
16. Martin Espada – Another Nameless Prostitute Says The Man Is Innocent
This is the poem that NPR didn’t want you to hear. It’s called, “Another Nameless Prostitute Says The Man Is Innocent,” for Mumia Abu-Jamal, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Camden, New Jersey April 1997. ‘The board-blinded windows knew… Full Transcript
17. Senior Hot Lunch Program
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Where you from? Where you from? Speaker 2: I’m from Germany. Mumia Abu-Jamal: What part of Germany? Speaker 2: Uh, southern part of Germany, near the Black Forest. Near “Old” Stuttgart, southern. Mumia… Full Transcript
Absence of Power
A woman working to feed the homeless gets involved in a confrontation with transit cops down in a major metropolitan subway. She’s accosted, manhandled, thrown to the ground, and held under restraint. Another woman has… Full Transcript
Peter Coyote Meeting With A Killer
This essay was hand-written in a solitary confinement cell by a man awaiting execution. I would like to read you one of his illuminating commentaries, that Senator Bob Dole and National Public Radio have tried… Full Transcript
20. Building A Better Mousetrap
Many Americans have a skewed perception of Japan. As skewed, perhaps, as many foreigners have of America, many of whom seem to expect cowboys and Indians. Of Japan, the image arises of the feudal Samurai,… Full Transcript
21. Nursing Home Crisis & Disabled Activist
Mumia Abu-Jamal 0:00 Dr. William Birch is the President of the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania. And the 190-member organization is making its feelings known in reference to Sara Allen nursing home situation. Dr. William… Full Transcript
23. The Seeds of Wisdom You Make The Call
Speaker OneOn A Move and Long Live John Africa. Mumia is in prison, on death row because he refused to stop telling the truth; because he wouldn’t stop exposing the injustice and treachery of this… Full Transcript
24. Interview With Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee
Mumia Abu-Jamal: What if good old mother earth had only 30 days till the big last blast? That’s the hub of the wheel around which a humorous and very human play brought to us by… Full Transcript
25. Black Promoters Boycott
The boycott at Center City Philadelphia’s fashionable Bijou Café continues. Mumia’s Abu-Jamal was there. For the second time this week, nearly 100 protesters and supporters of the United Black Concert Promoters of America joined air… Full Transcript
26. Interview with Hugh Masekela
You’ve been doing what you’ve been doing for quite a, quite a, long time. By that I mean your music, you know, for quite a long time in the states. And there were people who… Full Transcript
27. Interview With Bob Marley
(Abu-Jamal) No reggae artist in the world has attracted the loving accolades of the dreadlocked Marley. Marley is truly a missionary and his message — one of global black redemption — is contained within the… Full Transcript
My name is Mumia Abu Jamal. I’m a journalist, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and an African American. I live in the fastest growing public housing tract in America. In 1981, I was a… Full Transcript