The Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (SAFC) is coordinating a poetic/hip hop day of action for former Black Panther, former NASA mathematician, poet and political prisoner Sundiata Acoli on September 22, 2014. We have 10 cities across the country hosting events on this day.
Because Sundiata Acoli, in addition to his many other accomplishments, is also a poet and painter, we are calling for organizations and individuals to plan writing workshops and/or poetry readings/hip hop performances across the country and around the world recognizing the need to address issues concerning police brutality, political prisoners and mass incarceration in the United States.
Sundiata created this writing prompt:
Sense(s) of Freedom: What would Freedom feel, look, taste, smell and sound like to you after the Revolution?
Sundiata will write a new poem based on this prompt as well.
The schedule of events across the country is below, and will be updated regularly.
Poetic Postcards
For those who can’t make it to an event, but would like to participate, you can write a poem or verse responding to Sundiata’s prompt and mail it directly to him (if it’s short enough, put it on a postcard – Sundiata loves to receive postcards!):
Sundiata Acoli
#39794-066 (Squire)
FCI Cumberland
PO Box 1000
Cumberland, MD 21501
Please also send your poems via email to thesafc@gmail.com, if you would like it shared publicly.
We also have a specific Senses of Freedom postcard we have created here.
The Senses of Freedom postcards have to be printed double sided on cardstock. You cannot glue two sheets of paper together, the prison will not let it in.
Scheduled Events (all events are on Sept. 22, 2014 unless otherwise noted):
Baltimore
Poetry Reading
New location for Baltimore
EVERYONE’S PLACE
1356 W NORTH AVE
BALTIMORE, MD 21217-3536
3-6 pm
Brooklyn, NY
Medgar Evers College
Library Performance Space
1650 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225
11:30am to 12:45pm
Poetry Reading
Detroit, MI
Sept. 19, 2014
7701 Harper St.
7 pm
Poetry reading in conjunction with Ferguson reportback
Houston, TX
https://www.facebook.com/events/698227566924937/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming&source=1
Newark, NJ
Essex County College, Siegler Hall (2132)
303 University Avenue
6pm to 7pm Poetry Workshop
7pm to 9pm Readings
Co-Sponsored by The Student Entertainment Club, The Hip Hop Student Association and The Africana Institute
https://www.facebook.com/events/287173901488308/?source=1
New Orleans
Rae House
1212 St. Bernard Ave
6-8 pm
Teach-in/poetry workshop/open mic
https://www.facebook.com/events/1482324025363179/?ref=51&source=1
Oakland, CA
Sundiata Bookstore and Cafe
5329 Fairfax Ave, Oakland, California 94601
6-10 pm
https://www.facebook.com/events/551437841628218/
Philadelphia, PA
A-Space
4722 Baltimore Ave.
6-8:30 pm
Writing workshop and Poetry reading
Portland, OR
Enjoni Restaurant
910 N. Killingsworth Ave.
5 -6 pm – Writing workshop
7-9 pm – Open mic/poetry reading
Co-sponsored by Oregon Jericho, KBOO Radio, and All African Peoples Revolutionary Party
https://www.facebook.com/events/1454905181448848/
Washington, DC
Poetry Reading
Sankofa Video Books and Cafe
2714 Georgia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20001
7-9 pm
Haikus for Sundiata
The Poetic/Hip Hop Day of Action follows and builds on the very successful May 2nd Haikus for Sundiata, a social media event that resulted in hundreds of haikus inspired by Sundiata (you can read them here: http://haikus4sundiata.tumblr.com/).
Sundiata himself wrote two new haikus for the occasion, and other participants included journalist and political prisoner Mumia Abu Jamal; poets Jessica Care Moore, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, and Marc Bamuthi Joseph; Charlotte and Pete O’Neal (former Black Panthers currently in exile in Tanzania); hip hop artists Sticman (from dead prez), Rebel Diaz, Kiwi Illafonte, and Gabriel Teodros.
Background on Sundiata’s Case
On May 2, 1973, former Black Panthers Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were pulled over by state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike and a tragic shootout ensued. Assata was wounded and Zayd was killed. During the gun battle a state trooper was shot and killed in the crossfire. Sundiata was tried in an environment of mass hysteria and convicted.
Sundiata is 77 years-old and has completed his sentence serving almost 40 years in prison. Despite having a clean disciplinary record and the fact that the recidivism rate for senior citizens is almost nonexistent, Sundiata has been denied parole numerous times. Currently we are waiting to hear back from the New Jersey courts on an appeal on the last parole hearing. He is one of many human rights activists from the Black Power Movement and Civil Rights generation still incarcerated today.
Contribute
Checks or money orders can be made out to the Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign and mailed to:
SAFC
PO Box 766 Harlem Station
New York, NY 10027
Contact
You can find more information on Sundiata’s case at:
www.sundiataacoli.org
Facebook: Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign
Twitter: SundiataAcoli