Archive
Tuesday, May 3rd – Letter Writing to Dr. Mutulu Shakur
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: Tuesday, May 3rd, 2022
WHERE: your home (or wherever you happen to be)
COST: Free
Eid Mubarak to those who celebrate!
And happy May Day to those who struggle!
This week NYC ABC is asking for folks to write to Dr. Mutulu Shakur.
From Dr. Shakur’s support site:
“Dr. Shakur received his ninth parole denial in January 2021. After being diagnosed with life-threatening bone cancer yet denied compassionate release, his lawsuit against the US Parole Commission and the Bureau of Prisons for unjust denials was expedited. We need your support as we pursue all avenues to improve Dr. Shakur’s fate!”
Dr. Mutulu Shakur is a New Afrikan (Black) man whose primary work has been in the area of health. He is a doctor of acupuncture and was a co-founder and director of two institutions devoted to improving health care in the Black community.
In 1987 Dr. Shakur was sentenced to 60 years in prison after being targeted by US federal authorities with charges under the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act and for aiding in Assata Shakur’s escape from prison. Please read more about Dr. Shakur here.
Please join NYC ABC from wherever you are as we write letters to Dr. Shakur:
Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
FMC Lexington
Post Office Box 14500
Lexington, Kentucky 40512
Though Dr. Shakur appreciates the mail that folks send him, he is unable to respond to every letter personally. Other ways to support Dr. Shakur can be found at mutulushakur.com
Tuesday, April 5th– Letter Writing To Ruchell “Cinque” Magee
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, April 5th, 2022
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
There has always been a war. As long as there are nation-states and borders there always will be. This doesn’t make the suffering of regular people caught up in them any less tragic or heartbreaking. And as long as there are prisons there will be people held inside them. This doesn’t make us feel any less for the people who are held by force behind the walls. Some of these people are held far longer than others because the ‘crime’ they are in for is the ultimate crime against the white supremacist settler state: resisting white supremacy itself.
Ruchell Magee is perhaps the longest held political prisoner by the ‘united states’ government; currently in his 59th year inside. Locked up in California on trumped-up charges in 1963, he happened to be in the Marin County courthouse on August 7, 1970, when Jonathan Jackson sought to free his brother George from the clutches of the state. Ruchell remains imprisoned to this day, at 83 years old, forced to suffer mentally and physically due to the poor conditions inside California’s prison camps.
This week NYC ABC and Page One Collective encourage folx at home to write to Ruchell “Cinque” Magee. Ruchell needs your support and action so that he can be released, spend time with his loved ones, and better his community. After 59 years of injustice, enough is enough. Free Ruchell Magee now! More information here: freeruchellmagee.org
Please take the time to write a letter to Ruchell:
Ruchell Magee #A92051 #T 115
California Medical Facility
Post Office Box 2000
Vacaville, California 95696-2000
May Day card signing party
WHAT: Political Prisoner Card Party
WHEN: 4:00-6:00pm, Saturday, April 23rd
WHERE: Interference Archive
COST: Free
Join NYC Anarchist Black Cross and Page One Collective for a May Day card signing party for U.S. held political prisoners!
May Day is an anarchist holiday, for over 150 years it has been a day to celebrate the struggle against capitalism–which logically extends to active resistance against all forms of oppression–and to honor those who struggle. We want to both honor our political prisoners and to help them celebrate by sending our love through the walls.
Given the ever increasing restrictions on prison mail, we will have pre-made cards for folks to sign.
Due to COVID there is limited space capacity, so please email us to reserve your spot! A first name will suffice so we can check you in at the door. RSVP: pageonecollective@protonmail.com
BK/NY – Tuesday, January 25th – Letter Writing To Mumia Abu-Jamal
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: Tuesday, January 25, 2022
WHERE: from wherever in the Matrix you happen to be
COST: Free
It’s hard to maintain hope as the pandemic rages on. We see the logical progression of capitalism before our eyes: crises accelerated by the pandemic that range from healthcare failures to food scarcity. As anarchists we know that to rely on the state is to be perpetually disappointed, yet this pandemic puts us in a paradoxical situation that we must contend with. One thing we have to be grateful for is our freedom in this overly-surveilled police state. No matter how rough and tough things get here on the outside, we know the conditions in prisons are worse now more than ever. One way to share some light with the folks stuck in cages is to write letters and maintain pen pal relationships. Given the current status of COVID, we continue to encourage folks to write from home with the hope we can resume public events in the near future.
This week NYC ABC and Page One Collective invite you to write to one of the most well known us-held political prisoners: Mumia Abu-Jamal. Mumia Abu-Jamal is an African-American writer and journalist, author of six books and hundreds of columns and articles, who has spent the last 30 years on Pennsylvania’s death row and now general population. Mumia was wrongfully convicted and sentenced for the murder of a Philadelphia cop. The demand for a new trial and freedom is supported by heads of state, Nobel laureates, distinguished human rights organizations, scholars, religious leaders, artists, scientists and, as important, millions of folks like you and us. For more information, be sure to visit bringmumiahome.com.
Please take the time to write a letter to Mumia Abu-Jamal (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Smart Communications/PA DOC
Mumia Abu-Jamal #AM8335
SCI Mahanoy
Post Office Box 33028
St Petersburg, Florida 33733
Rest in Power Russell Maroon Shoatz (August 23, 1943-December 17, 2021)
NYC Anarchist Black Cross mourns the loss of Russell “Maroon” Shoatz. Russell was a founding member of the Black Unity Council, as well as a veteran of both the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Captured in 1972, he attempted escape twice, but was ultimately kept locked inside for almost 50 years, only being let out in the last weeks of his life as he was already dying of cancer. While inside, he remained committed to the struggle, and was a dynamic thinker and prolific writer, authoring the collection Maroon the Implacable and several other insightful interviews and articles as well.
As a collective, Maroon guided NYC ABC’s work and shaped the direction of the now-gone 1-2-3 Community Space, of which NYC ABC was a co-founder.
NYC ABC had back-and-forths with Russell prior to opening the space asking for his insight and ideas about opening an explicitly anarchist space and he was brilliant, engaging, and very helpful. His suggestions resulted in a lot of on the street engagement, talking with many folks and handing out a LOT of surveys to see what would be useful/helpful in the neighborhood. It is the response to the surveys that are the reason the space had such a focus on outreach to youth (the bike workshop, after school program, silk-screening program, and the NYC ABC co-organized “Rites of Passage” series) were among the things that were either youth-centric or had special sessions especially for younger folks.
We are comforted that he transitioned while on this side of the razor wire, but outraged that he was held captive for so long. Let’s keep his memory alive.
Free Them All!
CANCELLED Holiday Card Party for Political Prisoners
Update 12/17 at 8:oopm
Unfortunately due to COVID yet again surging in NYC, this event has been cancelled. Please take the time to write political prisoners anyway, whether that means sending a card [note it must be on plain computer paper, many facilities don’t allow cardstock or greeting cards] or a letter.
WHAT: Political Prisoner Card Party
WHEN: 3:00-5:00pm, Saturday, December 18th
WHERE: Interference Archive – 314 7th Street, Brooklyn, 11215
COST: Free
Join NYC Anarchist Black Cross and Page One Collective for a holiday card signing party for U.S. held political prisoners!
The holiday season can be tough and isolating, and we want to send our political prisoners some brightness and warmth.
Given the ever increasing restrictions on prison mail, we will have pre-made cards for folks to sign.
Due to COVID there is limited space capacity, so please email us to reserve your spot! A first name will suffice so we can check you in at the door. RSVP: pageonecollective@protonmail.com
Read more…Tuesday, September 7th- Letter Writing to Ed Poindexter
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, September 7th, 2021
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
As the empire crumbles, floods and fires wreak havoc around the world, and plagues linger on and on, not one of us is immune from the threats and challenges of our times. But let’s not let ourselves get too apocalyptic in our thinking. The times are always a-changing, and our analysis and practice of intersectional struggle against the politics of oppression and the hierarchies they serve remain cogent. Our challenge is to keep our heads above the proverbial and literal water and do what we can to enact radical solidarity with our comrades on both sides of the walls.
So while we gear up for Running Down the Walls this coming Sunday, we don’t forget about the individuals we support that are still behind bars. In this spirit, please join NYC ABC and Page One Collective this week to write to Ed Poindexter, a Black Panther political prisoner in Nebraska.
Ed Poindexter and Mondo we Langa are commonly known as the “Omaha Two.” They were leaders of the Black Panther Party in Omaha in the late 1960s and, like others, were targeted both by the Omaha police and the FBI under its notorious COINTELPRO spying and disruption program.
In August 1970, the Two were framed on charges of killing an Omaha police officer, who died after being lured into a home where a suitcase bomb exploded. They were subsequently imprisoned. After a long illness, we Langa died in 2016 after 45 years in prison, while Ed Poindexter remains locked up.
Please take the time to write a letter to Ed (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Ed Poindexter #27767
Nebraska State Penitentiary
Post Office Box 22500
Lincoln, Nebraska 68542
Tuesday, August 10th – Black August Letter Writing
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, August 10th, 2021
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
In an effort to maintain some semblance of normalcy we continue to encourage folks at home to write political prisoners every other week. As the pandemic surges yet again, we worry not only for our vulnerable communities on the outside but especially for those inside, forced to live at the mercy of their captors who have proven their disinterest in taking COVID seriously. Writing letters is a simple and effective way to connect our communities and remind those inside they are not forgotten.
In the spirit of Black August, NYC ABC and Page One Collective will be sending letters to Black revolutionary political prisoners, many of whom are elders and have survived COVID. There’s an easy way for you to help, just by writing from home. Black August honors fallen Black Freedom Fighters, calls for the release of all political prisoners, and condemns the oppressive and life-stealing prison system in this country. Black August was first observed in the 1970s to commemorate George and Jonathan Jackson’s assassinations and honor the centuries of Black resistance that preceded those events.
Please post a photo of your addressed envelope on social media and tag us (with your return address blurred out) and we will share it. Use Page One’s recent zine, “Current Political Prisoners of Black Liberation Movements,” for up-to-date addresses.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2021 – Letter-writing to Xinachtli
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing
WHEN: 7pm, Tuesday, July 13th, 2021
WHERE: YOUR HOME
COST: Free
Often when we write these updates we are conscious of trying to tie present conditions to the larger struggle, to contextualize (for ourselves at least) both the movement and the moment at hand. But sometimes stepping back a bit and looking through a more historical lens can be helpful for our sense of perspective.
For those of us concerned with supporting political prisoners in the belly of this particular beast, the month of July by the colonial calendar is instructive and offers several events to reflect on over the past century or so of struggle. This is by no means a comprehensive list (as recent events have shown), and while the significance of random calendar dates can easily be overstated, the struggles and dedication of these comrades can not.
- On July 18, 1918 Oaxacan-born revolutionary anarchist Ricardo Flores Magón was convicted of sending politically dangerous materials through the mail and sentenced to twenty-one years in prison. He wrote that “a sentence of twenty-one years is a sentence of life for a man as old and worn out as I am.” He died imprisoned in Leavenworth, Kansas November on 22, 1922, at fifty years old.
- On July 14, 1921, a guilty verdict was announced in the murder trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Judge Thayer praised the jury for their “supreme American loyalty.” The two Italian-born anarchists were later sentenced to death, which was carried out in August 1927.
- On July 11, 1983, New African anarchist Kuwasi Balagoon delivered his opening statement in the infamous Brink’s Trial, in which he stated: “i am a prisoner of war and i reject the crap about me being a defendant, and i do not recognize the legitimacy of this court.”
On July 18, 1996 a Texas sheriff went to arrest Alvaro Hernandez—also known as Xinachtli—at his home on trumped-up charges without a warrant. When the sheriff drew his gun, Alvaro disarmed him and fled. After eventually being captured, he was convicted and sentenced to 50 years in prison.
Which brings us to this week’s letter writing in which NYC ABC, in collaboration with Page One Collective, are encouraging you to write to Chicano political prisoner Xinachtli.
Xinachtli (Nahuatl, meaning “seed”) is an anarchist communist community organizer and Chicano movement revolutionary, currently imprisoned in Texas. Formerly known as Alvaro Luna Hernandez, he worked diligently in the barrio on civil and human rights issues, known widely for his legal skills. Gaining international recognition as the national coordinator of the Ricardo Aldape Guerra Defense Committee, Xinachtli was instrumental in helping to free Mexican national Aldape Guerra from Texas’ death row, where he had been framed for the murder of a police officer.
In July 1996 Xinachtli was arrested after disarming a County Sheriff who was attempting to shoot him. After defending himself at trial, Xinachtli was sentenced to 50 years in prison for aggravated assault, a charge he vehemently denies. While imprisoned, Xinachtli continues to write frequently, has helped to organize multiple prison strikes, and has been held in solitary confinement for the last 19 years and counting. Xinachtli is a prolific jailhouse lawyer, as referenced by Mumia Abu Jamal in his book Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v the USA. Xinachtli assists many prisoners in seeking new trials, and filing suits against the repressive, inhumane Texas prison system. More information at https://freealvaro.net.
Please take the time to write a letter to Xinachtli (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online):
Alvaro Luna Hernandez
#255735
W.G. McConnell Unit,
3001 Emily Drive,
Beeville, Texas 78102
*Address envelopes to Alvaro Luna Hernández, cards/letters to Xinachtli.
Tuesday, June 15th – Letter Writing for Imam Jamil Al-Amin
WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday June 15th, 2021
WHERE: your home (or wherever you happen to be)
COST: Free
Sometimes it seems that the struggle for a free society is reduced to something so simple as the struggle to remember. The ruling class hates to be reminded that it wasn’t bootstraps but the ongoing violence of settler colonialism that bought them their Sunday brunch. Or that Stonewall wasn’t a commercial for a big box store, or an isolated event in the centuries of rebellions big and small by those on the losing side of patriarchal supremacy and its false binaries. And right now, as ‘we’ are ‘getting back to normal,’ the triumphalism that callously asserts the needs of domestic markets in the face of a still raging international pandemic insists that we forgot the suffering and wide scale preventable deaths that were all most of us could think about for the past year. We are told to take off our masks, get back to work, and go to brunch, and to forget those who got sick and especially the hundreds of thousands who died. In a very similar way we are told that Black Panthers are comic book characters and fashion symbols to appropriate, safely ancient history if they were ever real at all; that Indigenous resistance to genocide is a thing of the past; that de-colonial freedom struggles were a ’boomer fad, and that the “united states” doesn’t have any political prisoners.
But what if we choose to remember?
What if we insist on remembering that those who resisted and fell, those who were captured, are human beings?
What if we got to know them as people with aches and pains and senses of humor and wisdom won through decades of principled struggle?
What would happen if we remember that the struggle continues?
This week NYC ABC and Page One Collective are asking you write to Imam Jamil Al-Amin (formerly known as H. Rap Brown). Jamil Al-Amin is a long time community leader and organizer, falsely imprisoned for killing a sheriff’s deputy in Georgia. He was convicted in 2002 and after some time in Georgia state prison, the state decided to bury him in federal custody at the notorious Florence Supermax in Colorado before being held in Arizona. The Imam has bone cancer and other health issues, so his family and supporters are currently pushing for an appeal to his trial and for his return to Georgia to receive better medical care and to be able to take a more active role in appealing his case. More information on what you can do is available at whathappened2rap.com
We are asking folks to take the time to write a letter to Jamil (and share a photo of your completed envelopes with us online). Please note that as it states on his support site “Imam Jamil is not receiving proper medical care and is now blind as a result.” We are suggesting to send typewritten letters in a large font (size 18 font and over) to let him and those holding him captive know that he is far from forgotten:
Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin #99974-555
USP Tucson
Post Office Box 24550
Tucson, Arizona 85734
NYC Anarchist Black Cross 