Mumia Abu-Jamal

Mumia Abu-Jamal was a Black Panther Party member and Philadelphia radio journalist known for his critical and outspoken commentary on issues such as racial injustice and police brutality. In 1981 he witnessed his brother engaged in a physical altercation with a police officer in their neighborhood after he was pulled over during a traffic stop. Mumia ran across the street to the scene when he was shot in the stomach by the officer the officer was shot in the head. Mumia was arrested for the officers murder. Numerous witnesses who testified they had seen Mumia shoot the officer later recanted their statements and said they were intimidated by the Philadelphia Police into making false testimony. Mumia's brother asserted the officer was shot by a friend of his named Kenneth Freeman who had been in the vehicle with him during the traffic stop and shot the officer in reaction to him shooting first at Mumia whom he saw running towards the scene. Freeman's body was later found handcuffed and naked on railroad tracks as a victim of a murder which has to this day not been solved. The court stenographer at trial would later state she herd the judge in the case refer to Mumia using the n-word and promise to help the prosecution have him executed. Mumia was convicted of the murder and sentenced to death. His death sentence was later overturned and he now is serving a sentence of life in prison.

Defenestrator published an April 6, 2009 interview and reported that the Supreme Court declined review of Abu-Jamal’s guilt-phase challenge that day. It distinguished that decision from the earlier federal invalidation of his death sentence and discussed the racial jury-selection dispute. The interview describes continued confinement, not release. Defenestrator, issue 44, April 2009, original PDF page 13. Source: https://we.riseup.net/assets/6831/versions/2/def44.pdf#page=13

Breakthrough Winter 1991 reproduces a Black Cultural Workshop open letter from Lompoc U.S. Penitentiary urging community mobilization against Abu-Jamal’s death sentence. It discusses his Black Panther information work and articles, broadcasting for WRTI-FM and WDAS-FM, his association-leadership role among Philadelphia Black journalists and his MOVE reporting. Its allegations of police and judicial misconduct and its interpretation of international law are the signatories’ advocacy rather than new adjudicated findings. The printed age of thirteen for his Wallace-rally arrest and July 3, 1982 sentencing claim are held as source discrepancies, without replacing independently documented chronology. Source: https://www.freedomarchives.org/Documents/Finder/DOC501_scans/Break/501.break.20.win.91.pdf#page=35

The MOVE account describes Abu-Jamal’s earlier role as president of the local Association of Black Journalists chapter, conflict with employers over his MOVE reporting and work as a freelance journalist and nighttime taxi driver. It dates formation of Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal under Pam Africa to 1991, the Jamal Journal to 1993, and discusses National Public Radio’s canceled 1994 broadcasts and the June 1995 PCRA filing led by Leonard Weinglass. Allegations about evidence, police abuse and judicial bias are MOVE’s attributed account. These organizing and publication details do not create a new prison episode. 25 Years on the MOVE (May 1996; March 1997 printing), PDF pages 10, 12, 30, 31. Source: https://azinelibrary.org/approved/25-years-move-1.pdf

The Dominion reports that a recorded solidarity message from imprisoned Mumia Abu-Jamal was played at the November 2004 School of the Americas protest. This documents his prisoner solidarity activity, not a new custody episode. The Dominion, February 2005, vol.II no.7, original PDF page 14. Source: https://www.dominionpaper.ca/pdf/dominion-issue25.pdf#page=14