Romaine Chip Fitzgerald is described as the longest held political prisoner who belonged to the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Chip as he is known, experienced trouble as a teenager but upon his release from the Youth Authority in early 1969, he joined the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
After joining the Panthers he became an assest to the community instead of a liability working in the Panther's community based programs like the "Party’s Free Breakfast Program, the tutorial program, selling Panther papers, political education classes and other projects." Chip was also well liked by those in the communities he served. Unfortunately, Chip like so many others in the Panthers became a victim of the illegal CoIntelPro program run the well known racist criminal heading the FBI.
Chip Fitzgerald has served 40 years for his alleged crimes against a racist state and should be set free on time served.
Our featured speaker tonight is Bro. Masai Ehehosi. He is a citizen of Republic of New Afrika and a long time activist in the New Afrikan Independence Movement. A former POW who, along with Sis Safiya Bukhari, was captured in 1975 and held on Virginia plantation for working with the Black Liberation Army.
He is currently working on efforts in support of political prisoner Imam Jamil Al-Amin aka H rap Brown and others being held by the United States of Corporate America. He is also a member of Critical Resistance, an organization committed to abolishing the Prison Industrial Complex.
Topics
Sis. Safiya Bukhari (PBUH), his former co-defendant and a horrific incident they both suffered in VA when police brutally murdered one of their comrades right in front of them.
Let's "Gang-Up" On Oppression: Youth Organizations And The Struggle For Power In Oppressed Communities
Political Prisoners
Brother Abdul Maumin Khabir is accused by the u.s. government of being an El Rukn general and "terrorist." Bro. Maumin spent about 9 years traveling, spending some time in Islamic and other countries outside of U.S. borders.
A blatant miscarriage of justice took place when five men were convicted in federal court based on their alleged association w/an alleged 'street gang' the El Rukns, not because of any criminal activity. Maumin Khabir was initially offered a 30 year plea bargain, with a promise of no further indictments, if he would plead guilty to a charge of committing "terrorist" acts for the Libyan government. He refused because of his innocence.
Bro. Abdullah Malik Ka'bah (aka Jeff Fort) assembled a coalition of 21 gang leaders or 'generals' with about 5,000 members in the mid-1960's under a governing body called the "Main 21". He used his leadership ability to solve disputes and form alliances between different gangs and directed their activities toward community and political activism. Street organizations in Chicago had involved themselves with the Civil Rights and the Black Power/Nationalist movements and made great strides to become part of the revolutionary nationalist thrust of our people in the 1960s and early 1970s.
During the 1980's Bro. Ka'bah and members of the El Rukns organization were involved in a process of political transformation and each had engaged in actions which directly challenged U.S. interests, on local and/or international levels. In 1987, Fort was tried and convicted for conspiring with Libya to perform acts of domestic violence against the United States.
Ka'bah, Abdullah Malik (aka Jeff Fort) #92298-024 USP Florence ADMAX, P.O. Box 8500, Florence, CO 81226 Birthday: February 20, 1947
Khabir, Maumin (aka Melvin Mayes) #09891-000 MCFP Springfield, P.O. Box 4000, Springfield, MO 65801 Birthday: September 15
Ruchell Magee was found innocent in two separate trials by two separate juries yet he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. He is considered the oldest held political prisoner in the United States.
Introduction to the case By Curtis Mullins.
"Ruchell Cinque Magee is the longest held political prisoner in the world, he has been in jail for more than 45 years, his captives hold him in violation of the law and the Constitution.
His is the classic case of fraud and corruption at the highest levels of government, and involves the intelligence community, executive, legislative and judicial branches of Government in a mind boggling conspiracy to hide the truth, and deny him due process and habeas corpus. This false democratic Government has committed fraud to cover up two not guilty verdicts by two different juries in two different trials.
Ruchell has been beaten by guards in the Court room in front of a jury, as Judge Herbert V. Walker sat, watched and did nothing.
Judge Walker instructed the jury that they had to find Ruchell either guilty or insane; Ruchell called a 'moron' by Federal Judge Sam Conti. Judge Conti created false documents in furtherance of the conspiracy; denied Ruchell self-representation; prevented Ruchell from meeting with the media (international dope dealers are permitted media visits); denied due process and habeas corpus and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for crimes he did not commit and was found not guilty of, these are the facts."
Dr. Mutulu Shakur was born on August 8, 1950, in Baltimore, Maryland Since the age of 16, Dr. Shakur has been a part of the New Afrikan Independence Movement. As a part of this movement Dr. Shakur has been a target of (COINTELPRO).
During the late sixties Dr. Shakur worked with the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM), the Provisional Government of the Republic of New Afrika, and the Black Panther Party. In 1970 Dr. Shakur was employed by the Lincoln Detox (detoxification) Community (addiction treatment) Program and became certified and licensed to practice counseling and treatment of withdrawal symptoms with acupuncture, later becoming the Program’s Assistant Director and remained associated with the program until 1978.
From 1978 to 1982, Dr. Shakur was the Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America (BAAANA) and the Harlem Institute of Acupuncture. Where, at Lincoln, Dr. Shakur had managed a detox program recognized as the largest and most effective of its kind by the National Institute of Drug Abuse, National Acupuncture Research Society and the World Academic Society of Acupuncture, at BAAANA he continued his remarkable work and also treated thousands of poor and elderly patients who would otherwise have no access to treatment of this type. Many community leaders, political activists, lawyers and doctors were served by BAAANA and over one hundred medical students were trained in the discipline of acupuncture. Dr. Shakur’s work in acupuncture and drug detoxification was both nationally and internationally known and he lectured on his work at many medical conferences, and was invited to the People’s Republic of China.
Dr. Shakur was the founding member of the National Committee to Free Political Prisoners. He has been a leader in the struggle against the illegal U.S. law enforcement programs designed to destroy the Black movement in America and has worked to expose and to stop the secret war against its Black colony.
In March 1982, Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in eight incidents of actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. In addition he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986. Dr. Shakur is the father of six children and his son, Tupac, was assassinated in 1996.
Guest Speaker Bro. BILAL SUNNI-ALI is a musician, performer, composer, educator, community activist and advocate. He has performed live, on stage with Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson, Doug Carn, Stevie Wonder, Wynton Marsaillis, American Symphony Orchestra, Jimmi Hopps-Esspirit, Earl Turbinton, Pharoah Saunders, and many, many more. He was also a Black Panther who was a co-defendant in the United States vs. Dr. Mutulu Shakur case.
Robert Seth Hayes was born in Harlem, New York in October 1947. Growing up in New York City, first in Harlem, later in the Bronx and Queens, Mr. Hayes saw one Black neighborhood after another suffering from neglect, despair, anger and defeat. At the same time, he recalls witnessing over the years a birth of hope and determination to overcome these conditions.
Upon returning to the United States from Vietnam, Seth was swept up in the Black Liberation movement and joined the Black Panther Party. He worked in the free breakfast for children program and began dedicating his life to the betterment of Black people. His knowledge of the effects of racism on the Black community convinced him that the Black Panthers’ program of community service ad community self-defense was what was needed.
His work, like that of so many others, was disrupted by COINTELPRO. Fearing further attacks, he went underground, believing it a better way to protect the work of the Black Panther Party and the Black movement in general.
Robert Seth Hayes had two children prior to his arrest and imprisonment, and he has remained closely involved their lives and upbringing, despite the difficulties presented by his long incarceration.
Bro. Seth has been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. He has been extremely ill and had great difficulty procuring the necessary healthcare and has needed the help of his lawyers and some state political leaders in order to get adequate treatment. He also suffers from Hepatitis C.
While in prison, Seth continues to work for the betterment of the community in which he lives. He has participated in programs with the NAACP, the Jaycees and other organizations and has worked as a librarian, pre-release advisor and AIDS counsellor.
Whenever possible, he has taken college courses. He is also a longtime advisor and collaborator in the annual Free Political Prisoners Calendar project. He is dedicated to continuing to work for social justice when he gets out of prison.
Guests
I will be joined by Crystal Hayes, Seth's daughter and Nate Buckley who is a political prisoner supporter of Seth Hayes and co-founder of Burning Books bookstore in Buffalo, NY.
You can write Brother Seth at Hayes, Robert Seth #74-A-2280 Sullivan Correctional Facility, P.O. Box 116, Fallsburg, NY 12733-0116
