BK/NY – Tuesday, September 26th – Letter Writing Dinner for Herman Bell

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, September 26th, 2017
WHERE: The Base – 1302 Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11221 (directions below)
NOTE: The Base is on the ground floor, is wheelchair accessible, and has a gender neutral toilet.
COST: Free
The first letter-writing after Running Down the Walls is typically one of celebration. This time, however, we are writing out of rage over the assault of an elder.

As you may have already heard, elder political prisoner Herman Bell was recently viciously attacked guards. As usually happens, guards turned this around to say that it was Herman who slapped one of them first (a blatant lie) and Herman was charged with assault on staff. This took place right before he was scheduled to have his first 3-day family visit in over 2 years and not so long before he again faces the parole board.

Herman’s support team have been asking people to send letters to the DOC Commissioner on his behalf. NYC ABC will use this letter writing dinner to both send these letters and also to write letters to Herman so he knows we are thinking of him.

Herman is a mentor, a father, a scholar, a coach, and a former Black Panther who was very active in the movement for Black Liberation. He has been in prison for 43 years for his alleged role in the murder of a NYC cop. He has been denied parole 7 times despite his productive time behind bars that has resulted in receiving two Bachelors of Science degrees and a Masters degree, becoming known throughout the New York state prison system as someone who has helped many others inside. You can learn more about Herman here and find out how you can send a letter or email on his behalf.

If you can’t make it out on Tuesday, take time to write from home:
Herman Bell #79C0262
Five Points Correctional Facility
6600 State Route 96
Caller Box 119
Romulus, New York 14541

The deal, as always, is that you come bringing only yourself (and your friends and comrades), and we provide you with a delicious vegan meal, information about the prisoners as well as all of the letter-writing materials and prisoner-letter-writing info you could ever want to use in one evening. In return, you write a thoughtful letter to a political prisoner or prisoner of war of your choosing or, better yet, keep up a long-term correspondence. We’ll also provide some brief updates and pass around birthday cards for the PP/POWs whose birthdays fall in the next two weeks thanks to the PP/POW Birthday Calendar.

Directions:
Getting to The Base is simple:
From the M Train:
Central Avenue Stop: Walk east on Myrtle Avenue (away from Hart Street, toward Cedar Street). We’re about two blocks down on the south side of the street.

Knickerbocker Avenue Stop: Walk west on Myrtle Avenue (away from Harman Street, toward Himrod Street). We’re about three blocks down on the south side of the street.

From the L Train:
DeKalb Avenue Stop: Walk south on Stockholm Street (away from Wyckoff Avenue, toward Irving Avenue). We’re about four blocks down, at the intersection of Stockholm Street and Myrtle Avenue.

From the J Train:
Myrtle Avenue Stop: Transfer to the M train and follow the above directions.