Reflections on the Black Panthers 48 years later with Cleo Silver

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Cleo Silver will join us against tonight as we wrap up the month of October which in 2014 marked 48 years since the Black Panther Party was founded in 1966. Cleo Silver is a former member of the Black Panther Party, The Young Lords Party, The Black Workers Congress and has worked on a number of campaigns to free political prisoners in the United States. We will also discuss the role of women in the movement for freedom from oppression.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett signed the repressive anti-free speech legislation deemed the "Muzzle Mumia Law". A number of groups are opposing the new law in court.

FREEMAN BROTHERS SERVICES: Funds are needed to take care of all expenses to properly send off our beloved Roland & Ronald Freeman of the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party. Because these two untimely passing’s took place while they were in New York opposed to their respective home states in California, much is required to get their remains and possessions home along with the proper services held. - Freeman Family

Raymond Luc Levasseur, Thomas Manning and police terrorism

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Former political prisoner Raymond Luc Levasseur drops in on PP Radio again. Ray was the co-founder of The United Freedom Front which was active during the 1970’s and 1980’s. The United Freedom Front is most known for its opposition to apartheid in South Africa and its corporate supporters. Mr. Levasseur has been a vocal critic of the New York City Police Department in the past once comparing them to the white supremacist and terrorist organization Klu Klux Klan.

Ray wants the listening audience to become informed about efforts to win the freedom of political prisoner Thomas Manning who is a former member of The UFF. Manning was convicted in the killing of New Jersey police officer Philip Lamonaco. Manning’s defense showed that Officer Lamonaco empty his gun in an attempt to kill Manning and those riding in a car pulled over by Lamonaco and Manning acted in self-defense. Manning was sentenced on February 19, 1987 to 58 years in federal prison and spent a little over 27 years in prison.

Political Prisoner Tom Manning is scheduled to see the US Parole Board in November. In a recent letter he asks that people write letters supporting his release on parole. He writes “so if folks can just write their own letters expressing each ones ideas rather than all of them sounding like they read a form letter – so that they put their own voice down on paper.”

Please write a letter to support Tom!
Your letter should reference:
Thomas Manning #10373-016

and be sent to:

U.S. Parole Commission
90 K Street, NE, Third Floor
Washington, D.C. 20530

Please make a copy and send it to:
Tom Manning 10373-016
FMC Butner
PO Box 1600
Butner, NC 27509

The New York Post published an editorial calling Sundiata Acoli a “Cop Killer” in a regurgitated anti-Acoli article.

The National Rasmea Defense Committee is traveling with Rasmea Odeh to court in Detroit, Michigan on Oct. 21, 2014 for an important hearing before Judge Drain. They are the public in Detroit to join Rasmea Odeh’s supporters for this rally and protest outside the court on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014.

The group says, “Palestine solidarity and civil liberty activists from Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, Grand Rapids and other Michigan cities will join Rasmea Odeh and pack the courtroom.”
The Committee to Stop FBI Repression has issued a call to action with a phone campaign on behalf of Rasmea Odeh.

Tuesday, Oct. 21: Call the prosecutors and tell them, ‘Drop the charges now!’ Call Jonathan Tukel in Detroit at 313-226-9100 Chief of National Security Unit, U.S. Attorney’s office, Eastern District of Michigan Call Barbara McQuade at 313-226-9501 U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan
When you call say, “Hello, my name is ________, and I am calling from _________ to demand that U.S. Attorney McQuade drop the charges against Rasmea Odeh.” (First name pronounced Russ-MEE-yuh)

Make the calls! Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 9 am to 5 pm Eastern Time
Conference Line: 1-530-881-1400 Access code 549032# Enter caller’s cue by hitting *star 6 & 1

Political Prisoners and movements resisting police violence

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On this episode of Political Prisoner Radio, we share updates on several individual cases of political prisoners held in the USofA like Eddie Africa of the Move Family, Sundiata Acoli and Imam Jamil Al-Amin.. We also discussed police brutality in the historical context of the Black power movement of the 50s, 60s, and early 70s which organized against racist terrorism by police and how the masses of Black people are still facing the same terrorism decades later.

Media campaign for political prisoner Sundiata Acoli & Mumia Abu-Jamal’s college commencement speech

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A Political Prisoner Radio discussion of the latest update in the case of political prisoner, victim of racism, Sundiata Acoli who recently won an appeal against a parole board’s decision to deny Acoli parole in 2011. A Media Watch campaign has formed to monitor the Internet for negative press and police propaganda related to Acoli’s case and to stress the importance and need to heed the appellate court’s ruling as a matter of law.

Imprisoned human rights advocate, journalist and Goddard College graduate Mumia Abu-Jamal delivers commencement speech.

Johanna Fernandez joined Political Prisoner Radio, she is a professor of History at Baruch College and a political and social media analyst. As a writer, her articles have been featured on outlets like the Huffington Post. She has often been called upon to educate the public on the case of former death row prisoner, current political prisoner, author and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia was chosen and gave the 2014 commencement speech. Students chose Mumia Abu-Jamal and the faculty of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont upheld the democratic process despite bullying from law enforcement groups and their supporters.

Mumia Abu-Jamal received his Bachelor of Arts from Goddard in 1996, was selected democratically to give the commencement speech by the fall 2014 graduating class.

Political Prisoner Radio airs every Sunday night at 9:00PM EST and is a program that seeks to educate the public on the individual cases of political prisoners and prisoners of war being held by the United States government, many for decades under torturous conditions.