Milwaukee
Community rallies for Mumia
By Bryan
G. Pfeifer
Milwaukee
In solidarity and multinational unity, a Community Meeting
for Mumia was held here on March 27. "Mumia is one of thousands
unjustly convicted of a crime languishing in prison and on
death row," said Minister William Muhammad of Muhammad Mosque
No. 3 and representative in Wisconsin of the Hon. Louis
Farrakhan as he opened the meeting. Muhammad denounc ed the
U.S. criminal justice system and a recent Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel article listing the Nation of Islam as a hate
group.
Oshiyemi Adelabu, Milwaukee firefighter and community
activist, announc ed a rally in Milwaukee in support of Mumia
Abu-Jamal on April 24 for those unable to travel to
Philadelphia that day. Adelabu said, "Injustice is as American
as apple pie. We're standing firm for a new trial and release
of Mumia."
Sister Ifama of Sisters in the Spirit, a Milwaukee organizer
of the Million Woman March, described how COINTELPRO, the FBI's
so-called Counter-Intelligence Program, was used to neutralize
people like Abu-Jamal who spoke out against political, social,
cultural and economic oppression in the U.S.
Over 800 pages of FBI documents on Abu-Jamal's activities,
dating back to 1969, were released in 1995. She urged the crowd
to support Abu-Jamal and some 150 other targets of repression
and to raise their cases internationally so "that the U.S. will
no long er be able to deny it has political prisoners."
A member of the newly formed Black Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual & Transgendered Task Force asked the crowd to
support and respect gay and transgender rights and
expressed support for Abu-Jamal and Black women in prisons.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Rev. James White described how
Abu-Jamal had been called "a cop killer," as if that were
supposed to end the discussion. After outlining "the tidal wave
of injustice that's happening," he asked, "Are you all
prepared? Are you committed? Are you insulted enough? How far
are you willing to go?"
The featured speaker was award-winning Latino poet Martin
Espada. "If you silence Mumia Abu-Jamal, you silence the
millions he speaks for," said Espada, whose poem, "Another
Nameless Prostitute Says the Man Is Innocent," was censored by
National Public Radio in 1997 for its political content. Espada
exposed the liberal mantra of NPR and said, "We do not need a
liberal response, we need a radical response" for justice.
He then read his censored poem and closed with "Free
Mumia!," receiving a standing ovation.
Other speakers included Pamela Graham of the African
American youth group NIA, Melissa Froiland of the Wisconsin
Network to Stop the Transfers, Phil Wilayto of A Job Is A Right
Campaign, and Robert Miranda of Education for the People.
The meeting was organized by Wisconsin for Mumia, which is
sponsoring a bus and other transportation to the April 24
"Millions for Mumia" march in Philadelphia.
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