Thank each of you for such warm Birthday (Jan. 14th) greetings, they brightened my day immensely but frankly it’s hard for me to fully comprehend that i’m actually 3/4 of a Century old. That is old by any standard!

i was transferred from FCI Otisville, NY because they’re supposedly converting it into a “Sex-Offenders and Debriefed-Gang-Members” prison. Otisville population stands at around 1200 prisoners. Staff  said they planned to transfer out 500 prisoners, mostly gang members and replace them with sex offenders and debriefed gang members, i.e., prisoners who have gotten out of the gang and off the prison’s gang list as a result of them debriefing by telling what they know of their gang’s operations and pointing out other unknown gang members to the staff.

Otisville had transferred out approximately 20 gang members (1 bus load) each week for a month or more when they added “convicted murderers” to the transfer list. i departed Otisville on the 2nd busload of prisoners convicted of murder. At each stop along the way, MDC Brooklyn, NY and FDC Philly, PA the prisoners there were very welcoming and helpful altho federal men’s prison are so overcrowded that there’s a widespread chronic shortage of the most basic supplies, prisoners are literally stacked atop each other and as soon as any prisoner transfers out, another moves into his bed space that same day or the next.

At MDC Brooklyn i received a much welcomed visit from each of my long time attorneys: Florence, Soffiyah, Marisa and Joan. Attorneys can simply show up at the Detention Center and visit. Not so for family or friends, they must be on a new visit list created at the Center. None of my family or friends were able to get on my list before the week or so lapsed by which time i was long gone to the next detention center.

The same visit rules were in effect at FDC Philly, PA. After a week or so there our bus departed on a round-about trip to FCI Schuykill, PA, our final destination. The first stop was Harrisburg International Airport, PA which looked every bit like a modern day slave market. 40 to 50 bus and van loads of prisoners, mostly Black and Brown with a splash of White and smaller splashes of Red and Yellow, chained hand and foot, sat along the runway of a “Con Air” transport jet disgorging hordes of cuffed hobbling prisoners from it’s entrails.  Empty,  and refilling its belly with just as many new prisoners from the buses/vans until finally sated, it turned, waddled down the runway , belched, and lurched into the horizon.

Other buses and vans mixed and matched, switched and swapped  prisoners till each bus was loaded only with prisoners going to the same destinations across the Northeast: NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, WV; the whole operation was surrounded by a cordon of federal marshals, prison guards, state troopers and county sheriffs.

It was here that all the prisoners on my bus were switched to a bus bound for FCI Schuykill…except me. Shortly, a guard i vaguely recognized from long ago came, took me off the bus and escorted me to another filled with different prisoners. Once seated i asked where they were headed. They said “Cumberland.” My property and traveling papers continued on to Schuykill. We arrived at FCI Cumberland and i was immediately put in SHU (the Hole) because they had no papers for me. I did 10 days semi-incommunicado in “the hole” until my papers arrived and was then let  out into general population. i thank all those who expressed concern about my welfare during the transfer, particularly Mumia Abu-Jamal, Pam Africa, the Jericho Movement and numerous others. i’ve since learned that at least 5 convicted murderers who left Otisville on the bus with me were rerouted back to FCI Otisville before reaching their transfer destination. They were all White.

i and SAFC support the OWS/OCCUPY MOVEMENT and i thank them for the evolving mutual support they’ve shown at various times and places for the Jericho Movement, the Black Movement and other Movements of People of Color and the Oppressed.

–END–

The following is the outline (fleshed out) of a speech i would have delivered for BLACK AUGUST had not Hurricane Irene shut down the Compound.

1. BLACK AUGUST originated in the California prisons to honor the fallen FREEDOM FIGHTERS: GEORGE JACKSON, JONATHAN JACKSON, WILLIAM CHRISTMAS, JAMES McCLAIN and KHATARI GAULDEN. All/most were killed in the month of AUGUST, in California in the ’70s.

2. BLACK AUGUST is rooted in the wanton killing of Black prisoners by California prison guards and in those prisoners’ resistance to that lethal repression.  On Jan 13, 1970, a prison guard shot down W.L. NOLEN, CLEVELAND EDWARDS, and ALVIN “Jugs” MILLER  in the  SOLEDAD PRISON yard then let them lay where they fell until they bled to death.

3. NOLEN was a prison leader who had agitated and protested the recent past killings of WILLIAM POWELL and CLARENCE “Dopey Dan” CAUSLEY, who was a friend of GEORGE JACKSON’S.

4. So what we had in California in the ’70s was a history of Blacks being blatantly shot down by prison guards with impunity. And when it came across the radio, 2 weeks afterwards, that the guard had been exonerated of the triple killing of NOLEN, EDWARDS and MILLER, the prisoners retaliated by throwing a guard off the tier.

5. Enter GEORGE JACKSON, as he, FLEETA DRUMGO and JOHN CLUCHETTE were charged with the guard’s killing and came to be known as the SOLEDAD BROTHERS.

6. California prisoners solidified around the defense of the SOLEDAD BROTHERS and created the BLACK GUERILLA FAMILY (BGF) which was co-founded in 1970 in the SAN QUENTIN Adjustment Center by BIG JAKE, ULYSSES and LITTLE JAKE GORDON, who were all BLACK GUERILLAS who GEORGE JACKSON had spoken of that he met. JAMES “DOC” HOLIDAY was an early BGF member. Also the BLACK PANTHER PARTY spearheaded a massive Defense Campaign for the SOLEDAD BROTHERS that united the many local, separate and disparate  Defense Committees across country into a massive NATIONAL PRISON MOVEMENT.

7. Enter JONATHAN JACKSON, younger brother of GEORGE, on AUGUST 7, 1970, when he brought a duffle bag of weapons into  a Marin county court and distributed them to trial prisoners: RUCHELL MAGEE, JAMES McCLAIN and WILLIAM CHRISTMAS. They bound the judge, prosecutor and 3 jurors as the media took photos, then herded their hostages into a van and headed out of the court complex. A SWAT team was waiting and riddled the van with bullets. JONATHAN, McCLAIN, CHRISTMAS, and the JUDGE were killed, the PROSECUTOR was paralyzed and MAGEE and 3 wounded JURORS survived.

8. JONATHAN’s weapons were traced to ANGELA DAVIS: a striking, Afro-ed, PhD Prof at UCLA , open member of the COMMUNIST PARTY and regular visitor and companera to GEORGE JACKSON. ANGELA had purchased guns for JONATHAN’S use as her bodyguard but he had used those same guns at the Marin County Courthouse which triggered an immediate nationwide “womanhunt” for ANGELA. Months later she was captured in NYC and returned to Marin County to face a Capital Murder trial with RUCHELL MAGEE. The COMMUNIST PARTY initiated and orchestrated a colossal Defense Campaign on behalf of ANGELA.

9. GEORGE JACKSON took about a year to finish his book: “BLOOD IN MY EYE” and on AUGUST 21, 1971, at SAN QUENTIN prison he returned from an ATTORNEY visit with a gun supposedly concealed under his wig which the guard discovered but he was taken back into the CONTROL UNIT by GEORGE and there 3 guards and two trustees (inmates who worked for the guards) were then killed.

10. GEORGE knew the officials were mainly gunning for him so he took a vial of liquid, purported to be nitroglycerine, and bolted from the CONTROL UNIT toward the wall. A tower guard shot him in the heel and the bullet was said to have traveled thru his artery to his head, killing him instantly. The vial of liquid turned out to be battery acid. A nationwide “manhunt” went out for the young White-radical ATTORNEY, STEPHEN BINGHAM, who was suspected of providing a gun and wig to GEORGE JACKSON.

11. GEORGE’S assassination stunned and outraged the revolutionary world. His legend was such that less than 3 weeks later ATTICA PRISON erupted in rebellion, partly in protest of GEORGE JACKSON’S assassination, in which they took 10 guards hostage. NY State Troopers killed 9 guards and 31 prisoners in retaking ATTICA; 43 people died altogether.

12. Meanwhile back at SAN QUENTIN, six prisoners: FLEETA DRUMGO, DAVID GIAPPA JOHNSON, HUGO “YOGI” PINELL, LUIS BATO TALALMANTEZ, JOHNNY SPAIN AND WILLIE SUNDIATA TATE, were charged and later tried as the SAN QUENTIN 6 for the killings and assaults that arose out of the takeover of the SAN QUENTIN CONTROL UNIT. SPAIN was convicted of murder and the rest were either acquitted or convicted of assault. Of the 6, only HUGO “YOGI” PINELL remains in prison; 40 years later.

13. ANGELA and MAGEE started trial together on Capital Murder charges but  couldn’t set horses on a trial strategy and their cases were severed. ANGELA was represented by an attorney at trial and was acquitted. MAGEE represented himself at trial and was convicted of lesser charges.

14. Thirteen years after the fact, ATTORNEY STEPHEN BINGHAM surfaced, stood trial on the gun/wig smuggling charges and was acquitted.
15. Over the years the Commemoration of BLACK AUGUST has spread to prisons all across the u.s., outside to the streets and even into other countries. Today BLACK AUGUST is used to honor those original Californian fallen FREEDOM FIGHTERS  plus notable Black events that occurred in the MONTH OF AUGUST plus other deserving FREEDOM FIGHTERS who fell at different times and places thru out our long struggle for BLACK LIBERATION and SELF-DETERMINATION. Prison observances during the MONTH OF BLACK AUGUST include fasting during the daylight hours, studying revolutionary works, especially those of GEORGE JACKSON’S, working out, wearing black arm/wrist bands and refraining from boisterous and frivolous activities. But wherever BLACK AUGUST is observed: whether inside, outside or overseas, it is a time to embrace the PRINCIPLES OF UNITY, SELF-SACRIFICE, POLITICAL EDUCATION, PHYSICAL TRAINING AND RESISTANCE.

My sincerest appreciation to San Quentin 6, David Giappa Johnson, for his Oct, 2011 S.F. Bayview article, “The 40th anniversary of the Assassination of George Jackson,” which enabled me to correct some inaccuracies in my original script.

—END—

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, after serving over 38 years in prison, Sundiata was denied parole for the third time on March 4, 2010. He was also given a ten year hit. Last December, an administrative appeal was denied by the NJ Parole Board. Sundiata will be 75 years old in January.

Sundiata’s legal team is focused on pursuing his appellate remedies through the courts. They are seeking to appeal in state court, and then if necessary the federal courts. His legal team has expanded over the years and currently in the process of raising the 10 thousand dollars needed to file the appeal.

The Appellate Court has set the briefing deadline of November 4, 2011.  Thus, time is of the essence.

We now have an active PayPal account so supporters and make secure, online contributions online. Please consider doing so today.

CLICK HERE for PayPal link for SAFC

People who are interested in the parole and release efforts should contact SAFC @ thesafc@gmail.com to inquire about ways to assist us with this urgent fundraising need. We still believe that he can and will receive his freedom.

If you would like to write Sundiata please send your letters to:
Sundiata Acoli (#39794-066)
(Squire)
P.O. Box 1000
FCI Otisville
Otisville, NY 10963-1000

Funds supporting his legal defense can be sent to:
FLORENCE MORGAN
120-46 QUEENS BLVD.
KEW GARDENS, NEW YORK 11415
(Florence Morgan has served as one of Sundiata’s legal advisors for over 10 years and is the Chairperson of the New York City Chapter of the National Conference of Black Lawyers)

Checks and money orders should be made out to The Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign. The SAFC is a 501(c)3 organization. All contributions go directly towards Sundiata’s legal fees and are tax deductible.

From: Sis. Fayemi

Many of you know, after serving over 38 years in prison, former Black Panther member Sundiata Acoli was denied parole for the third time on March 4, 2010. But he was also given a ten year hit by the New Jersey State Parole Board.  Last December, an administrative appeal was denied by the NJ Parole Board and a letter affirming the denial of Sundiata’s parole was received.

Considering Sundiata’s age and his right to freedom, Sundiata’s legal team is focused on pursuing his appellate remedies through the courts, seeking to appeal his repeated denial of parole. His legal team has expanded over the years and currently in the process of raising the 10 thousand dollars needed to file the appeal.

The good news is, the Appellate Court is ready to set a briefing deadline in spite of the State’s improper delays and callous disregard for Sundiata’s rights. Keep in mind, Sundiata will be 74 years old in January.

People who are interested in the parole and release efforts should contact SAFC @ thesafc@gmail.com to inquire about ways to assist us with this urgent fundraising need. We believe the film, A Power Sun, is important and should be supported. Monies raised on Sundiata’s behalf should go towards his appeal. We still believe that he can and will receive his freedom with the right support.

The SAFC is a 501c3 organization. All contributions go directly towards Sundiata’s legal fees. Volunteers of SAFC are not paid and do not request or receive any of the contributed funds.

If you would like to write Sundiata please send your letters to:

Sundiata Acoli (#39794-066)
(Squire)
P.O. Box 1000
FCI Otisville
Otisville, NY 10963-1000

Funds supporting his legal defense can be sent to:

FLORENCE MORGAN
120-46 QUEENS BLVD.
KEW GARDENS, NEW YORK 11415

(Florence Morgan has served as one of Sundiata’s legal advisors for over 10 years and is the Chairperson of the New York City Chapter of the National Conference of Black Lawyers)

Checks and money orders should be made out to The Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign

To all those who continute to show love and support to Sundiata and all political prisoners, here’s my favorite poem I share with you…

Like You

(a poem by Roque Dalton, a Salvadorian poet and guerilla fighter for freedom in the 60s and 70s. He was killed for revolution.)

Like you I

love love, life, the sweet smell

of things, the sky blue

landscape of January days.

And my blood boils up

and I laugh through eyes

that have known the buds of tears

I believe the world is beautiful

and that poetry, like bread, is for everyone.

And that my veins don’t end in me

but in the unanimous blood

of those who struggle for life,

love,

little things,

landscape and bread,

the poetry of everyone

Love & Respect.

Juneteenth

The Juneteenth Celebration was put on by the younger Bros at FCI Otisville so that they might gain experience and improve their skills. They designed a program format in which anyone could  stand and speak on any topic they desired and afterwards stand ready to answer questions about it from the audience.

Black Warrior opened the event with a brief history  that Juneteenth was a holiday created by Blacks to celebrate the end of their and all chattel enslavement in the u.s. It dates from the June 19, 1865, announcement by Gen. Gordon Granger following his landing at Galveston TX, that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was 2 1/2 years after President Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1st, 1863 (which was ignored by the slave owners still at war) and about 2 1/2 months after Lee’s surrender on April 9th, 1865 which ended the Civil War.

The Emancipation Proclamation had declared slaves free in Confederate states still in rebellion but there were not enough Union forces in those states to enforce the declaration. With the arrival of Gen. Gordon and his regiment at Galveston the Union Army  had enough forces on the ground in Texas to enforce Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and Granger’s General Order No. 3 that the enslaved were indeed free. Since then Juneteenth is looked upon as Black Independence Day by many in Texas and the states to which it spread.

Black Warrior also explained among other things that he had never heard of Juneteenth until a couple of  years ago and he made the point that that’s why it’s important that we hold events like this in order to educate ourselves and others concerned.

Righteous Born followed with an oration on why Black people should stop using the word “nigga” and then threw the floor open for volunteer speakers from the audience.

Ra’uf Abdullah took the floor and and read four of his poems: (1) Unity (printed below), (2) History, (3) Skag and (4) Convict.

Heru acknowledged the Ancestors and poured libations in their honor.

Abdullah Muhammad spoke on the topic of “There Is No Mystery God.”

Broadway Cole spoke on “The Enemy Is Self.”

And Redemption held the audience enraptured with his speech on “Sine Dine” and it’s application to the u.s. Constitution ,the dissolution of the Union on March 9th, 1860 and President Lincoln declaring himself Commander n Chief.

Time expired and that ended the Event.

UNITY
A condition of harmony,
The quality or
State of being made one.
Its true essence:
“One for all; and all for one!”

Unity,
Is something which has to be nurtured:
“In order to bring about true Unity,
Everyone has to put forth an effort!”

With Unity you form a union:
“Oneness,
An act or instance of Uniting,
Which is a unified condition.”

With Unity you become like family,
You become Brothers.

Likewise,
With true Unity:
“You become a Brotherhood”

You have many forms of:
“Brotherhood”
Such as the Mafia,
Syndicate;
La Cosa Nostra!”

When we break Brotherhood down,
We know that a Brother:
“Is one of the male members of a family!”
We know that a Hood:
“Is a protective covering!”
Like a Hood on a coat:
Protects your head from the elements!
Or the Hood on a car:
“It protects the vital parts of a car from the elements!”

None of us are true Brothers:
“Until you want for your Brother,
That which you want for yourself!”

In order to  establish a strong Brotherhood:
“You must have sincere love,
For one another!”
You must develope:
“A closeness,
That no out-sider can penetrate!”

If your Brother had a bowl of soup:
“Half of it,
Was Yours!”

In closing:
“You are supposed to be so close,
That you can hear each other breathing!”

You must be so close”
“That if one of you have a tooth ache,
You all go  get your tooth pulled!”

THE END!
(c) Ra’uf Abdullah
(aka William Christian) 7/13/06

geronimo ji Jaga was a true “Top Soldier,” highly skilled in warfare, tested and proven on the battlefields of Viet Nam, he returned stateside to put his expertise at the service of the Black Panther Party, the Black Liberation Army and other select organizations of the era. He saved many lives. He made many soldiers.

geronimo, or “G” as we called him, was our much beloved comrade, brother, hero and leader. He was also a father and husband who literally gave his entire life over to the liberation of Afrikans, here and abroad, and other oppressed people worldwide. He was all that – and yet he was one of the most forgiving persons i’ve ever known. It was part of his makeup, and his enigma.

G fought to the end, he gave all that he had and we, Afrikans and others oppressed, are all the better for it. We are forever in his debt.

May the Ancestors receive him with their proudest salute to a returning soldier.

In Struggle,

Sundiata Acoli

In her book titled “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness,” Michelle Alexander cites Martin Luther King in 1968 highlighting the need to shift from civil to human rights advocacy, saying initiatives for it just began. In fact, it’s truer now than then with Blacks and Hispanics comprising two-thirds of America’s prison population, by far the world’s largest at around 2.4 million, most incarcerated for nonviolent or political reasons.

Focusing on the war on drugs, Alexander characterizes the New Jim Crow as a modern-day racial caste system designed by elitists who embrace colorblindness. Believing poor Blacks are dangerous and economically superfluous, America’s gulag became an instrument of control. According to Alexander:

“Any movement to end mass incarceration must deal with (it) as a racial caste system, not (a method) of crime control. We need an effective system of crime prevention and control in our communities, but that is not what the current system is. (It’s) better designed to create crime, and a perpetual class of people labeled criminals, rather than to eliminate crime or reduce the number of criminals.”

Overall, America’s most vulnerable are victimized by judicial unfairness, get tough on crime policies, a guilty unless proved innocent mentality, three strikes and you’re out, racist drug laws, poverty, and advocacy for social justice issues challenging repressive state policies.

As a result, figures like former UN ambassador Andrew Young believes “(t)here are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people (in America incarcerated as) political prisoners.” Including undocumented Latino immigrants and other aliens, it’s tens of thousands, an April 2011 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report saying Washington annually spends over $1.5 billion imprisoning them.

Currently, around 55,000 are in federal prisons, another 75,000 in state facilities. At a November 2010 Workers World Party conference, International Action Center organizer Gloria Verdieu said:

“Freeing all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and prisoners of war” tops America’s social justice struggle, “because the state uses the criminal justice system to lock up those who sacrifice their livelihood for freedom and justices for the masses.”

In fact, international precedent recognizes releasing them. France freed anarchists, Germany Baader-Meinhof figures, and Britain IRA members. Not America, however, in contrast to notorious criminals pardoned, including Iran-Contra conspirators Caspar Weinberger, Elliott Abrams and John Poindexter, as well as others convicted of serious offenses warranting long internments.

Unlike them, today in America, heroic activists are incarcerated unjustly, including Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, Ramsey Muniz, Oscar Lopez Rivera, the Cuban Five, lawyers Lynne Stewart and Paul Bergrin, and, among many others, Sundiata Acoli (born Clark Edward Squire) for 38 years.

Access his complete profile at:

http://www.sundiataacoli.org/

Born in January 1937, it calls him a New African political prisoner of war, mathematician, and computer analyst with a BA in math from Prairie View A & M College. In summer 1964, he did voter registration work in Mississippi. In 1968, he joined the Harlem Black Panther Party, doing community work relating to schools, housing, jobs, child care, drugs, and police brutality.

In 1969, he and others were arrested in the Panther 21 conspiracy case, jailed for two years without bail, then acquitted and released. Afterward, FBI pressure denied him professional employment, and COINTELPRO harassment and surveillance drove him underground.

Driving on the New Jersey Turnpike in May 1973, he and others were accosted by state troopers. Zayd Shakur was killed, Assata Shakur wounded and captured. One state trooper was killed, another wounded. Acoli was captured days later. In a highly charged, “sensationalized and prejudicial” trial, he was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life plus 30 years.

Initially for five years at Trenton State Prison (TSP), he was confined to a special Management Control Unit (MCU) solely for political reasons, given only 10 minutes daily for showers and two hours weekly for recreation.

The International Jurist (TIJ) “publishes perspectives and opinions on the current state of international law and its future,” especially international humanitarian law, human rights law, transitional justice and international criminal law, and comparative law.

After interviewing Acoli in September 1979, TIJ declared him a political prisoner. Days later, he was secretly transferred to solitary confinement at maximum security US Penitentiary, Marion, IL despite no outstanding federal charges. In July 1987, he was sent to Leavenworth, KS federal prison.

Eligible for parole in fall 1992, he was denied permission to attend his own hearing, permitted only to participate by prison phone. Despite his exemplary prison work, academic and disciplinary record, hundreds of supportive letters, and numerous offers as a computer professional, he was denied in a 20 minute proceeding, giving him “a 20-year hit, the longest in New Jersey history,” minimally requiring him to serve another 12 years before again becoming eligible for parole.

Reasons given were his Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army membership, as well as hundreds of “Free Sundiata” form letters calling him a “New Afrikan Prisoner of War” and that he hadn’t been sufficiently rehabilitated. At issue, however, is forcing him to renounce his social justice advocacy and admit wrongdoing for struggling to liberate his people.

On March 4, 2010, the New Jersey State Parole Board (NJPB) denied him for the third time, again calling him “not rehabilitated” despite over a 1,000 supportive letters and petitions from noted figures, including lawyers, clergy, academics, psychologists, community members, and journalists.

Then in mid-July, with no explanation, he got written notice of a 10-year hit, requiring at least another six years imprisonment before parole eligibility at which time he’ll be 79 years old or perhaps dead.

On August 27, 2010, an administrative appeal to the New Jersey Parole Board was filed, his legal advisers saying his case is strong based on NJPB procedural errors.

Throughout his incarceration, he’s endured harsh treatment yet maintained an exemplary record, as well as becoming a talented painter and writer on prison industrial complex issues. He’s also a father, grandfather, and both brother and mentor to fellow inmates besides making invaluable community contributions before incarceration.

In the 1960s, after years as a skilled computer programmer, he participated in southern civil rights struggles. Moreover, his New York chapter Black Panther Party activities involved him in numerous social justice struggles, including education, slum housing, school breakfasts, healthcare, legal help, and politics. He also worked on anti-drug and police brutality initiatives, an admirable record overall deserving praise, not incarceration for nearly four decades.

A Final Comment

On April 17, 2011, Acoli’s latest article headlined, “Sundiata Acoli: Why You Should Support Black Political Prisoners/POWs and How,” saying:

“My name is Sundiata Acoli….and am now a Black Political Prisoner and Prisoner or War (PP/POW) who’s been (incarcerated) for the last 37 years.”

“So why should you care,” he asked? “Why should you support Black PP/POWs? Well, maybe you shouldn’t. If you’re happy with (how America) and the world is going, and if you want (Washington and Western powers) to dominate and oppress the rest of the world, then (don’t) support Black PP/POWs (and it agenda to end predatory) capitalism, sexism, (racism), and all unjust oppressions of people and life (on) earth.”

That advocacy got Acoli and many others imprisoned for supporting and doing the right thing. Now it’s up to mass activism no longer to tolerate it.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.

EMERGENCY SURVIVAL BAG
by Sundiata Acoli and Pinky
(Updated 10/11)

Store the following items in a backpack, carry-on bag or duffle bag(s) so that in the event of a natural or man-made disaster there’s no need to think; simply grab the bag(s) and go to a safe place in the house or away from the danger area.

*WATER*

- Store fresh water in a canteen can, wineskin bag or in one-gallon plastic, tin or glass bottles. Refill containers with fresh water every six-months. In a last minute emergency, fill the bathtub and sinks with water and/or use the water standing in the toilet’s flush tank, the hot-water heater’s tank, and the toilet bowl. Treat the water in the toilet bowl as contaminated water.

- Store clear plastic bag(s) or plastic sheets and duct tape for use in catching rainwater or collecting dew mist and condensed water in the outdoors or at sea. Because a tree holds an enormous amount of water, if you place a clear plastic bag over a ‘leafy green’ branch you’ll force it to cough up some of the water through condensation. But it’s important to make sure the bag is tightly sealed around the branch or it won’t produce any water at all. Plastic bags/sheets are also useful as makeshift rain gear and for temporarily sealing off (with duct tape) items, rooms and other interiors from seepage by water or gas.

- Store water purification tablets which may also be used and are available in drug stores and sporting goods stores. Four tablets will purify one quart of water.

- Store iodine (should be 2% United States Pharmacopoeia strength). Household iodine from the medicine chest of first aid kit will purify water. Add 20 drops per gallon of clear water, and 40 drops per gallon of cloudy water. Seal the container and let stand for 30 minutes. The water supply will be safe for an indefinite period.

- Store regular Clorox bleach (contains 5.25% sodium hypochlorite, no additives) for use in purifying contaminated water. Purify contaminated water as follows:

Purifying Water Using Liquid Clorox Bleach — When the tap water stops flowing, Regular Clorox Beach isn’t just a laundry-aid, it’s a lifesaver. Use it to purify water, and you’ll have something to drink. First let water stand until particles settle (12 to 24 hours), then scoop the water out and strain it through a paper towel or several layers of clean cloth. Pour the clear water into an uncontaminated container and add regular Clorox bleach per the chart below. Mix well. Wait 30 min. Water should have a slight bleach odor. If not, repeat dose. Wait 15 min. Sniff again.

Store an eyedropper by taping it to your emergency battle of Clorox bleach, since purifying small amounts of water requires only a few drops.

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification:
2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.

Don’t pour purified water into contaminated containers. To sanitize water jugs first, mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

Purifying Water by Boiling – Boil water for 2 to 3 minutes, and then pour the water back and fourth between sanitized containers to restore the air and fresh taste to the water.

Purifying Water by Distilling – Although boiling water or mixing Clorox, etc. in it will purify most water, neither method will remove microbes that resist boiling, heavy metal, salts or most other harmful chemicals. To remove these harmful microbes and chemicals the water must be distilled. This means boiling the water so that its steam vapors can be recovered. The collected steam vapors that condense back to water is the distilled water.
To distill water pour it into a pot which has a cover or lid. Only fill the pot half way with water. Then use wire or string to suspend an empty cup in the pot over the water (but not touching the water) so that when the cover is closed over the pot and the cup, the steam from the boiling water will drop from the cover into the cup. Boil the water for 20 minutes. The water in the cup is distilled water and is free from most harmful chemicals or other contaminants.

*COMMUNICATIONS*

Store as many of the following as possible in your emergency bag:

-MICROLINK FR 160 Hand-cranked/Solar powered combination radio and flashlight, plus cell phone charger. Generate power to this compact hand-held unit with a few turns of the hand crank or by simply setting it in the sun. The radio is AM/FM with a NOAA Weather band for weather broadcasts, alerts and other emergency messages. The flashlight has 3 built in LEDs to light your way thru the dark and the USB phone-charger charges virtually any cell phone or other small electrical device. Various makes and models are available for $15 to $35 by going to Amazon.com and typing in:  hand crank flashlight/radio/phone charger or by searching for the same or similar items at costco.com or homedepot.com.
- A portable radio (AM/FM, shortwave bands, etc.) with extra assorted batteries (C, AA, AAA, D)
- Address/telephone book with ball-point pen and pencils
- Everlight flashlight (no batteries required, operates by motion/shaking, lasts a lifetime, water and shock proof, floats, call 1-800-679-1416 to order at $19.95 for 1 regular Everlight and 1 Pen Everlight flashlight).
- Stainless steel mirror to signal by land or sea (tape the Morse code to the back of the mirror)
- Referee’s whistle
- Extra pair of eyeglasses
- Maps of adjacent states
- Hand compass
- Canned spray paint or ribbon rolls to mark trails or locations
- Hand held GPS unit (Global Positioning System – accesses satellites that orbit the planet so you can determine your exact position on the planet)
- Adapter for car cigarette lighter to plug in electrical units
- Phone card
- Cell phone
- Lap top

(Morse Code Alphabet is available at http://morsecode.scphillips.com/morse.html)

*PROTECTION*

Store as many of the following as possible in your emergency bag:

- Handgun, rifle, shotgun or pellet/BB gun and ammo for each weapon
- Boy Scout knife, Bowie knife or hatchet
- In a ziplock plastic water proof bag store xerox copies of your birth certificate, passport, drivers license, social security card, titles to property, bank statement, marriage license, and other important papers
- Blanket, sleeping bag or tent, disposable cigarette lighters
- Coat, boots, gloves, socks, jeans, thermal underwear, cap
- Antibiotics (ciprofloxacin or doxycycline are anti-anthrax drugs), first-aid kit, personal prescription medicines
- Painters mask or gas mask, Home Depot’s plastic Tyvek painters suit to use as an improvised anti-chemical/bio warfare (CBW) suit
- Potassium iodide tablets to be taken as an antidote after exposure to nuclear radiation.
- Geiger counter

*FOOD*

Store power bars, ready-to-eat meals and packages of dried fruits, nuts, vegetables, meats, crackers and drinks (Tang, powdered milk), honey, all purpose camping skillet-pot, portable camp stove and fuel.

“Facade…In Every Mortal Lies A Dormant God!,” by Sanford S. Shuman, 2011, 180 pgs., Trafford Publishing ,   www.trafford.com, email orders@trafford.com or tel. toll free 1 (888) 232-4444, price $16.04.

“Facade…In Every Mortal Lies A Dormant God!” is a good book of poetry. It is an honest days work, attractively packaged and worth the price. And it can be a constant source of spiritual and emotional inspiration to the reader.

Sanford Shuman himself is a very spiritual person and his poems expound on a range of topics:

PASSIONS & EMOTIONS: comprised mostly of love poems;

NOTIONS and MOTIVATIONS: inspirational poems for facing life’s challenges and mastering them;

DIVINE and FRAME OF MIND!: revels in praise of Jah, Yahweh, Zion, Allah, Brahma, Lord of Lords or God by whatever such name and petitions him for help in ones earthly endeavors;

REBELLION and UNREST: a call to arms against oppression, injustice, racism, neglect and unjust practices against Africans at home and abroad. Shuman dedicates various parts of the chapter to Bob Marley, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Marcus Garvey and other contributors to the struggle of Black Liberation and World Liberation. Altho he states several times thru out the book that all Whites are not the oppressor he still lapses from time to time into a a broad brush painting of “Europeans” or “the white man” as the culprit. That is wrong and he shouldn’t do so.

One of his best poems, “Youth’s Plight,” is inspiring for it’s capture of our youths condition precisely!…after which he blasphemes the rapper, in his poem “Reproach,” for destroying youths.

“Facade…” is a good book of poetry that could be a great one if it’s tone was a little less didactic and it’s rhyme scheme a little less monotonous but nevertheless its insights, spirit and content more than make up for any foibles.”

After having the approved date for the first Black History Event at FCI Otisville in 12 years moved from Feb. 10, 2011, to Feb. 17, to Feb. 21 and finally to Feb. 24th, the frustrated 5 potential outside guests regrettably but understandably ran into scheduling conflicts which forced them to cancel their appearances. As a result the Black History Event was done with prisoners only.

Akbar Pray opening remarks energized the audience. Raheem acted as moderator and introduced the following events: A skit by Boo, Al-Tariq, Shane, Jaws, T.I. and Tim in which the youngsters learned the importance of Black History from the O.T.’s (Old Timers,) T.I. then recited a inspiring poem:”God, Why Did You Make Me Black?,” Shane and Jaws Jason did a sizzling conscious rap song and would reappear several times during the later program to do other raps, Sebastian Abu Williams did a great Call and Response poem: “Because You Already Know,” Melvin did an impromptu introductory speech, Rauf did 3 of his classic poems, the main one being “Uncle Sam’s Dope Habit,” Joe Gerald held the audience spellbound with his story: “My Life: Why I Became Interested in History,” Supreme Magnetic enlightened all on the “History of Clarence 13X of the 5% Nation,” Sundiata spoke on “Why Black and Afrikan History “(printed below,) Black Warrior spoke on the “Life of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad” and Righteous Born Everton closed the program out with and very conscious and rousing oration on “The History of the Elders Passing Knowledge Down to the Youth!”

Why Black and Afrikan History?
by Sundiata Acoli

There’s an Old Proverb that asks:  “What happened to the people of Sumer, for ancient records show that these people were Black.” And the answer was: ” They lost their history, so they died.”

Is that just talk or can a people really die from losing their history?- and how do they lose it? Well it usually happens when a people have been invaded, conquered and subjugated in war…and we all know that TRUTH is the first casualty in war …and that  history  is always written by the victors who usually portray themselves as noble, courageous and wise while slandering the defeated as cowardly and stupid savages — or they simply write them out of World History altogether. Those missing pages are a defeated peoples’ lost history until they regain knowledge of it. Marcus Garvey said: “A people without knowledge of their history, origin or culture is like a tree without roots.”…and a tree without roots dies!

So the question is: Have we, Blacks in the u.s., lost our history?…and could we die as a result?  Afrika was invaded and overthrown 2500 years ago from which it/we have yet to recover. Our libraries  at Alexandra, Egypt, in Afrika, were looted, books taken back to the western world and Library burned to the ground. Our history was rewritten to make our conquerors look noble and us look like ignorant savages – and our real history was left out of World History altogether. Thus we have lost our history ….so the other question is:” Can we die from it?”

We’re told we’re free and equal yet we continue to be discriminated against . Also we continue to be hit with every lethal affliction in the book: AIDS, crack, abortions (now the #1 killer of Blacks, i’m told,) gang warfare, police, prisons, death penalty, obesity-diseases, Katrina, you name it…. and both you and i know it’s only a matter of time before there is an outbreak of some new affliction more deadly than the ones before… and that it will “just happen to” kill more Blacks than anyone else. That’s just too many coincidences; they look more like “campaigns” to me than “coincidences”. And frankly there’s no guarantee that we can keep surviving these deadly attacks, the next affliction may wipe us out completely. So yes, it’s possible that Blacks in the u.s. could die just as the people of Sumer did…unless we do something.

SANKOFA, an Old Afrikan Proverb, says “Go forward by going back to fetch it.” Fetch what? Our lost Afrikan history!: our collective memory, our mind! We use Our History, and History period, as a starting point to go forward, to go where we still must go, to get free and be whatever we choose to be.

Malcolm X said: “Of all our studies, history is best qualified to reward our research.” It’s also best qualified to provide solutions to our problems. Again Malcolm: “And when you see you’ve got problems, all you have to do is examine the historic method used all over the world by others who have problems similar to yours. Once you see how they got theirs straight then you know how you can get yours straight.”

History is where a people go to learn, research or regain past knowledge about themselves and the world, to find solutions to problems in their lives, and  go forward. That’s why we need History, why we study History and how we use History.

If you would like to write Sundiata please send your letters to:

Sundiata Acoli (#39794-066)
(Squire)
P.O. Box 1000
FCI Otisville
Otisville, NY 10963-1000

Funds supporting his legal defense are always appreciated and can be sent to:

SAFC
PO Box 766 Harlem Station
New York, New York 10027

Checks and money orders should be made out to The Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign

http://sundiataacoli.org