'Every generation has its struggle -- Mumia is ours'
WW Party
Conference: Excerpts from a talk by Tahnee Stair
Every generation of youth has had a movement that they've
come to the forefront of, and the struggle for Mumia has become
ours.
Last April 24, the majority of the Millions for Mumia
marchers in Philadelphia and San Francisco were newly
politicized, radical youth of all nationalities who came to
voice their outrage at racism and repression.
Over 200 campuses nationwide sent delegations to the marches
in support of Mumia. During Mumia Awareness week in September,
over 60 college campuses nationwide held actions, and 90 high
schools reported events.
In the last year, youth have organized Punk and Hip Hop
shows, art shows and school walkouts across the country.
The Youth and Students for Mumia email list serve--started
at the youth workshop at the Communist Manifesto conference in
New York last fall--has tripled in size to include subscribers
from all over the world.
Last week the band Rage Against the Machine, while
performing their hit song shouted "Free Mumia" on the David
Letterman show. It was broadcast on MTV and throughout the
world.
Last February when Rage did a benefit in
New Jersey for Mumia, 20,000 people defied police threats in
order to attend, capturing national media coverage. Thousands
of young people became activists for Mumia that night.
Rage is on tour. We need as many youth as possible to
organize at the shows. This type of broad outreach--through
high-profile, mass events--is exactly what we need to mobilize
the tens of thousands of people necessary to stop the execution
of Mumia.
The stay only gives us precious time to organize such
events. We need to develop more activists. We must organize
more rallies and teach-ins, more film showings of "A Case for a
Reasonable Doubt"--a moving documentary on Mumia. Every campus
that doesn't have one needs a Mumia Organizing Committee.
We need to dog Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, and every
high-profile political candidate. These candidates like to come
to campuses to hold mock debates. Well, they're going to see
the faces of angry youth.
Follow the example of Evergreen College Students who fought
to have Mumia as their commencement speaker last June, getting
national media coverage. Ignite a struggle in support of Mumia
on your campus now.
Mumia was a youth organizer himself. At the age of 15 he
helped form the Philadelphia branch of the Black Panther
Party.
Mumia represents all our struggles as youth against racism
and bigotry, against the death penalty, against police
brutality, for freedom of speech, and for a job and education
and future--not incarceration.
We will go to any lengths, make any sacrifice necessary, by
any means necessary to defend ourselves and free Mumia
Abu-Jamal.
This article is copyright under a Creative Commons License.
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