Book signing party pays tribute to Pam Africa

By Jamila K. Wilson
Philadelphia

On Feb. 5, over a hundred people gathered at Dowling’s Palace — the colloquial watering hole in the heart of North Philadelphia — to hear from one half of the dynamic duo, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill, about the journey he had collaborating with Mumia Abu-Jamal, who at the time of writing their book, “The Classroom and The Cell,” was sitting on death row.

Pam Africa and Theresa Shoatz. WW photo: Joseph Piette

The event was chaired by Dr. Anthony Monteiro, an African-American Studies ­professor at Temple University, who opened the program with a profound and moving tribute to Pam Africa for her tireless work and dedication to Mumia Abu-Jamal’s freedom and the fight to abolish the death penalty.

“Pam Africa is a figure that history must and will recognize. … This daughter of the working masses, whose roots are amongst the working poor of North Philadelphia, is an international leader in the fight for human rights,” Monteiro told those gathered.

The tribute served as a platform that continued throughout the event, celebrating the unwavering fortitude of women in the movement — typically unsung heroes who have been regulated to footnotes of historical movements and human rights struggles.

“Pam has led a movement that has won a victory no one thought that was possible, getting Mumia off death row and having the death penalty overthrown,” Monteiro stated.

The presence of female leaders within the movement was very apparent at the book signing event. Theresa Shoatz, daughter of Russell “Maroon” Shoatz, shared a heartfelt letter from her father — a long-time political prisoner — about his recent visit with Mumia. For three days after Mumia’s release from death row, Mumia and Shoatz walked the prison yard sharing wisdom with one another for an hour each day.

Rachel Wolkenstein, a longtime supporter and legal representative for Abu-Jamal, provided an insider’s account of his release from restrictive housing into general population. As a “condition for his release,” Mumia was told he had to sign a security agreement which stated that because he was “a security risk,” if he did one insubordinate thing he would be sent back to the hole. Mumia refused to sign it.

Unbeknownst to him, while he was seeking to negotiate a counter agreement, the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal and other supporters held a press conference in Philadelphia and then drove to Camp Hill, Pa., where they presented a petition to prison authorities with over 5,000 signatures demanding Mumia’s release into general population at SCI-Mahanoy.

Ramona Africa, the only adult survivor of the 1985 state terror attack on the MOVE compound, which killed five children and six adults, gave a detailed update on the national organizing efforts for the April 24 “Occupy the Justice Department” actions in Washington to demand the release of Mumia and all political prisoners and the end to mass incarceration.

She shared that momentum for the event is extremely strong with a number of high profile public figures, including Amiri Baraka, Danny Glover, and M1 of Dead Prez, signing on to participate in the protest and demonstration.

Restrictive housing has to go

During his visits with Mumia to collaborate on their book, one thing that disturbed Dr. Marc Lamont Hill was the torturous condition of Mumia’s being denied the ability to touch another human being for thirty years. “Restrictive housing has to be taken down. His case represents millions around the world. We are fighting to liberate all political prisoners.”

Hill also talked about the humanity of Mumia. “The thing that struck me the most about Mumia was not that he was so serious, but that he is human. He is so gentle.”

Other speakers at the program included Michael Coard, Philadelphia attorney and activist; Sandy Jones, with the Campaign to End the Death Penalty; Val Jones, sister of the late Victoria Jones, who was a witness for the prosecution at Mumia’s “trial” due to police coercion but later recanted her testimony; Alicia Amaro, a cousin of Abu-Jamal’s spouse, Wadiya Jamal; Malcolm Shabazz, grandson of Malcolm X; and Pam Africa. They all shared their insights and experiences with Mumia’s case.

In his closing remarks, when recounting a visit he had with Abu-Jamal, ­Shabazz quoted the great Vietnamese leader Ho Chi Minh, “When the prison gates are open the real dragon will fly out.”

For those interested in getting involved in the local, national and international organizing efforts for the April 24 action, contact [email protected].