FREE THE ANGOLA 3!

Houston activists celebrated the Feb. 19 birthday of political prisoner Albert Woodfox at a forum featuring Parnell Herbert, political activist and Woodfox’s childhood friend from New Orleans.

Photo: Houston-Indymedia.org

Herbert spoke at length about who the Angola 3 are and how, because of their political activism, the Louisiana prison system targeted them and falsely accused them of murdering a guard. Herbert also spoke of the political strength that has allowed them to survive in solitary confinement for more than 30 years at Angola, one of the most oppressive prisons in the country.

One story exemplified the political understanding that Woodfox developed in his early years at Angola. Woodfox and Herman Wallace, who later became two of the Angola 3, had built a chapter of the Black Panther Party in the prison. When the New Orleans 12—Black Panthers involved in a shootout with police at the Desire housing project—wound up at Angola, the guards tried to sow division between the two groups, telling each group lies about the other.

When Woodfox was allowed to walk past the cellblock housing the New Orleans 12, a fight was expected to break out. But when he met them, he gave them a Black Power salute and a big hug.

The talk was followed by much discussion on Woodfox and the Angola 3. “I learned so much about the injustices suffered by Angola 3 that I want to inform others about their plight,” said Sharon Johnson, an activist with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.

Johnson has since contacted King Wilkerson, the one member of the Angola 3 who has gotten out of prison and is steadfastly working to win the release of his two brothers. “I invited Wilkerson to come speak in Houston and I also ordered some of his candy, Freelines, to sell in Houston.” (Freelines are a praline-type candy Wilkerson learned to make in prison and now sells on the Internet to raise funds. See www.angola3.org.)

Houston Anarchist Black Cross and the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement sponsored the meeting, which also showed the documentary “3 Black Panthers and The Last Slave Plantation.” The ABC spoke of their projects, including sending books and literature to prisoners.

Njeri Shakur of TDPAM spoke about political prisoners on Texas death row, including Howard Guidry. “Howard is an innocent man who never should have been on death row in the first place because the cops tortured a confession from him. But once on the row he developed a revolutionary political understanding of prisons and the capitalist system that sent him there. He is now a leader of PURE, Panthers United for Revolutionary Education.”

The evening ended with a celebration complete with a chocolate birthday cake and a birthday card signing.