BK/NY – Tuesday, May 8th – Letter Writing Dinner for Sundiata Acoli & Dr. Mutulu Shakur

WHAT: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
WHEN: 7pm sharp, Tuesday, May 8th, 2018
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

This week NYC ABC will focus on Sundiata Acoli and Dr. Mutulu Shakur, a former Black Panther Party member and a former Black Liberation Army member who are serving time for charges connected to Assata Shakur and/or her successful 1979 prison break and escape.

A New York Black Panther, Sundiata Acoli endured two years of prison awaiting trial for the Panther 21 Conspiracy Case. He and his comrades were eventually acquitted on all the bogus charges. The case was historic and a classic example of police and government attempting to neutralize organizations by incarcerating their leadership. As a result of this political attack and because of the immense pressure and surveillance from the FBI and local police Sundiata, like many other Panther leaders went “underground.”  On May 2, 1973, Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur and Zayd Shakur were ambushed and attacked by state troopers on the New Jersey Turnpike. Assata was wounded and Zayd was killed. During the gun battle a state trooper was shot and killed in self defense. Sundiata was tried in an environment of mass hysteria and convicted, although there was no credible evidence that he killed the trooper or had been involved in the shooting. He was sentenced to thirty years. Sundiata was ordered released on parole by a state appeals court in New Jersey in September 2014 when the court ruled the parole board had “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” when it previously denied him parole. The State of New Jersey has appealed the decision. More information: sundiataacoli.org

In 1987 Dr. Mutulu Shakur was sentenced to 60 years imprisonment for his role in the Black Liberation Movement. In March 1982, Dr. Shakur and 10 others were indicted by a federal grand jury under a set of U.S. conspiracy laws called Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) laws. These conspiracy laws were ostensibly developed to aid the government in its prosecution of organized crime figures; however, they have been used with varying degrees of success against revolutionary organizations. Dr. Shakur was charged with conspiracy and participation in the Black Liberation Army, a group that carried out actual and attempted expropriations from several banks. Eight incidents were alleged to have occurred between December 1976 to October 1981. In addition, he was charged with participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, who is now in exile in Cuba. After five years underground, Dr. Shakur was arrested on February 12, 1986. While he was on the street, Dr. Shakur challenged the use of methadone as a tool of recovery for addicts. He believed in natural remedies instead and, based on those beliefs, founded the Black Acupuncture Advisory Association of North America. Many people credit Shakur with saving their lives. Dr. Shakur has worked to free political prisoners and to expose government abuses against political organizers. While in prison, he has struggled to create peace between rival gangs. More information: mutulushakur.com

If for some insane reason you cannot join us Tuesday, please write them at home:
Sundiata Acoli* #39794-066
FCI Cumberland
Federal Correctional Institution
Post Office Box 1000
Cumberland, Maryland 21501
*Address envelope to Clark Squire

Dr. Mutulu Shakur #83205-012
USP Victorville
Post Office Box 3900
Adelanto, California 92301

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.

BK/NY – Tuesday, October 11th – Commemorate the Legacy of the Black Panthers

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

It could very well be that folks in the United States are fed up. Fed up with the state and capitalism, fed up with the authorities in their lives that keep pushing and pushing and pushing, fed up with bosses, with landlords, with cops, wardens, and commanding officers. While far from flawless, Occupy Wall Street and its successors have given form to the anger and potential we share. At the same time, over 12,000 prisoners in California continue to protest the inhumane conditions and fucked up policies under which many of them are imprisoned. And their hunger strike is spreading.

In this same month, we must acknowledge a significant anniversary. It was in October, 1966 that the Black Panther Party was founded. Much of the movement we see today, in the streets on in prisons, has a direct lineage to the Panthers. It is with that in mind that we focus our every-other-week political prisoner letter-writing dinner.

This time around, we’ll be focusing on current political prisoners and prisoners of war who were members of the original Black Panther Party. As there are currently twenty Panther political prisoners or prisoners of war, we will be hosting a card-signing, with additional information available for those able to write a separate letter or begin a correspondence.

BK/NY – Tuesday, August 30th – Come Support Black August Prisoner Cinque Magee

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, August 30th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

So everyone survived the hurricane of the century rain storm that hit over the weekend? Good. If nothing else, the impending disaster confirmed a couple of things: the rich and their government do not give a fuck about the rest of us, especially those of us in prison; and folks on the ground are better able to take care of one another than some bullshit NGO.

NYC ABC dealt with the inconvenience of water falling from the sky by preparing for another every-other-week Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner. As we near the end of Black August, it’s only fitting that we focus on and honor Ruchell “Cinque” Magee.

On August 7th, 1970, Jonathan Jackson was gunned down outside the Marin County California courthouse as he attempted to liberate three imprisoned Black liberation fighters: James McClain, William Christmas and Cinque. Cinque is the sole survivor of that armed rebellion, the former co-defendant of Angela Davis, and has been imprisoned for over 40 years, most of it in solitary confinement.

While we expect to see you on Tuesday, if you can’t make it, please take the time to write a letter to Cinque at:

Ruchell Magee #A92051
CSP Corcoran 3A-02-131L
Box 3461
Corcoran, California 93212

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
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Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

BK/NY – Tuesday, August 16th – Support Recently Transferred New York State Political Prisoners

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, August 16th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

In the words of The Clash, London’s burning. Folks there have had enough of being bullied and murdered by cops and they are fighting back. It’s incredible to see how they’ve come together to drive out the police who have all of the crown’s resources and training at  their disposal. There is plenty to be learned from what is happening there, not to mention the uprisings that continue around the world. During times like this, it serves us to reflect upon those in the United States who have similarly struggled and, in turn, have been captured. With that, NYC ABC brings another of our political prisoner letter-writing dinners. This week we are writing to three folks in our own state, all recently transferred to other prisons. Please join us in writing to Herman Bell, David Gilbert, Seth Hayes, and Jalil Muntaqim.

While we expect to see you on Tuesday, if you can’t make it, please take the time to write letters to Herman, David, Seth, and Jalil:

Herman Bell #79-C-0262
Great Meadow Correctional Facility
11739 State Route 22
Post Office Box 51
Comstock, New York 12821-0051

David Gilbert #83-A-6158
Auburn Correctional Facility
Post Office Box 618
Auburn, New York 13021

Robert Seth Hayes #74A2280
Sullivan Correctional Facility
Post Office Box 116
Fallsburg, New York 12733-0116

Jalil Muntaqim* (Anthony Jalil Bottom) #77-A-4283
Attica Correctional Facility
Post Office Box 149
Attica, New York 14011-0149
*Note: Make sure to address the envelope to Anthony Bottom and the letter to Jalil.

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
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Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

BK/NY – Tuesday, June 21st – Letter-Writing to Support Herman Bell

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

It was good to see folks who braved the rain to help support comrades at the June 11th barbecue we co-sponsored. Raffle tickets are still available and we’ll be having the drawing in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, we’re back on our grind, hosting another every-other-week letter-writing dinner.

This week we’re writing to a long-term prisoner held here in New York. Herman Bell is a former Black Panther framed for the murder of a police officer in New York and is serving 25 years to life in prison.

In 1971, he went underground because of relentless FBI attacks on the Black Panther Party. While underground, Herman was captured and extradited to New York on charges of having killed two New York City police officers. No witnesses were able to put Herman at the scene of the crime. The first trial ended in a hung jury and he was convicted at his second trial and given 25 years to life. For more information, make sure to read this mini-biography.

We expect to see you on Tuesday. If you can’t make it, please take the time to write a letter to Herman at:
Herman Bell # 79D0262
Sullivan Correctional Facility
Post Office Box 116
325 Riverside Drive
Fallsburg, New York 12733-0116

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

NYC ABC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
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facebook
twitter
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website

Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

BK/NY – Tuesday, March 29th – Letter-Writing For Zolo Azania

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, March 29th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

Spring is upon us! Meanwhile, we will contain the urge to indulge a pun involving springing prisoners from behind bars. What we will we *not* contain, however, is the urge to cook delicious vegan food, and drum up correspondence for political prisoners.

This week we’ll be focusing on one of the longest held political prisoners in the United States, Zolo Azania. For decades, the State of Indiana was trying to kill Zolo for allegedly killing a cop during an armed robbery. However, Zolo’s innocence quickly became clear, on the basis on false evidence and two trials which excluded Black jurors. While in 2009, he finally won his battle to drop the death penalty, he still currently faces the prospect of life in prison for actions that he never committed. Come find out more about Zolo and other political prisoner news, and enjoy a meal with friends(new or old).

In the unthinkable event that you are not able to attend, below is Zolo’s address:

Zolo Azania #4969
Indiana State Prison
1 Park Row
Michigan City, Indiana 46360

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

ABCF-NYC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
blog
facebook
twitter
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website

Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

BK/NY – Tuesday, March 1st – Letter-Writing for Veronza Bowers

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

How about those Oscars? So many surprises, right? Okay, okay, clearly you don’t care about the Academy Awards and neither do we. The wealthy and attractive praise each other while the world is on fire. Revolutions are brimming abroad and even municipals unions are starting to assert themselves. Folks are on the streets, challenging state power, capital, and the cops. It’s in this environment that we host another Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner. This week we’re focusing on Veronza Bowers.

Veronza Bowers, Jr. is a prisoner at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party incarcerated in federal prison for over 37 years, making him one of the longest held political prisoners in United States history.

Veronza was convicted for the murder of a U.S. Park Ranger. His conviction came as the result of testimony provided by two government informants, both of whom received reduced sentences by the Attorney General’s office for unrelated crimes. There were no eye-witnesses and no evidence independent of these informants to link Veronza to the crime. At his trial, Veronza offered alibi testimony which was not credited by the jury. Also not credited was testimony of two relatives of the informants who insisted that the informants were lying. In addition to having charges reduced in unrelated cases, the informants had all charges against them in this case involving Veronza dropped; one was given $10,000 by the government according to the prosecutor’s post-sentencing report. Veronza has consistently maintained his innocence, even at the expense of having his appeals for parole denied — an admission of guilt and contrition is virtually required if a prisoner has any hope of being granted parole.

What’s unique about Veronza’s case is that he has had the legal right to be released on what is known as “mandatory parole” since April 7, 2004. This is due to the fact that the Parole Commission failed to find that (1) there was compelling evidence he was likely to commit crimes upon release, or (2) he had frequently violated the rules of the prison system or (3) he had committed serious violations of prison rules during his incarceration. Only by making one of these three findings could the Commission lawfully deny him parole as of that date. What happened instead was that only a few hours before Veronza was to be released on April 7th, 2004, the Commission ordered the Bureau of Prisons to cancel his parole and indefinitely hold him in prison. This order was made without any explanation, justification or finding whatsoever.

Veronza has long passed his mandatory parole date, now by almost eight years.

For more information, visit:
veronza.org

In case you aren’t able to make it to dinner, here is Veronza’s address so you can join in from home:

Veronza Bowers, Jr. 35316-136
USP Atlanta
Post Office Box 150160
Atlanta, Georgia 30315

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

ABCF-NYC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
blog
facebook
twitter
myspace
website

Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

BK/NY – Tuesday, February 1st – Revolutionary Love For an Early Valentine’s Day

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, February 1st, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

Not to sound like a broken MP3, but this weather. We’re expecting another round of freezing rain and snow. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was so bad that a fire under the street knocked out the power for our regular letter-writing spot. And yet folks turned out. We had a great time, wrote some letters, and talked about PPs and POWs. So why not brave the cold again this week? It’s going to be worth it.

This week we’re having an early Valentine’s Day card writing party for PPs and POWs in the region. But rather than looking to a holiday based on Christian martyrs from millennia ago and kept alive through consumerism and romantic coupling, we’re celebrating revolutionary love and solidarity. We love our imprisoned comrades and use this week’s card-writing night to manifest that love.

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

ABCF-NYC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
blog
facebook
twitter
myspace
website

Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!

Tuesday (January 18th) – Letter-Writing for Black Liberation Prisoner Sekou Kambui

What: Political Prisoner Letter-Writing Dinner
When: 7pm (sharp), Tuesday, January 18th, 2011
Where: 885 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, New York (see below for directions)
Cost: Free

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s cold. And mostly gross. We get it, nature, you’re unpredictable and ungovernable. But that doesn’t change the fact that this coming Tuesday, NYC ABC is hosting another great letter-writing dinner. Brave the freezing rain to warm yourself up with great food, camaraderie, and correspondence with one of our long-held political prisoners. This week we’re writing to Sekou Kambui.

On January 2, 1975, Sekou was captured in north Birmingham for allegedly running a yield sign and/or speeding. During this stop, a 9mm pistol was found in the car lying between the front seats. Subsequent investigation by police on the scene discovered that the pistol was listed as stolen during a Tuscaloosa, AL murder. A wide-ranging investigation followed, which included inquiries into his personal relationship with a white woman. At one point during the investigation, while being transported, Sekou was told by one of the investigators, “…we don’t really give a damn whether you committed these crimes or not, but you should have because we’re gonna hang your ass with them anyway…” Sekou was falsely arrested and charged with the murder of two white men: a KKK official from Tuscaloosa and a multi-millionaire oil man from Birmingham. The trial was racially charged from the beginning with a black civil rights leader being accused of killing two white men in the state of Alabama.

Even a cursory review of the history of the case shows that Kambui was nowhere near the scene of either murder and that as a Black activist being charged for the murder of two white men in Alabama, he never stood a chance of a fair trial.

In case you aren’t able to make it to dinner, here’s Sekou’s address so you can join in from home:

Sekou Cinque T.M. Kambui (s/n William James Turk) #113058
Staton Correctional Facility (B1-21)
Post Office Box 56
Elmore, Alabama 36025-0056

NOTE: The envelope should be addressed to William Turk, the enclosed letter to Sekou Kambui.

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 Anarchist Birthday Brigade.

DIRECTIONS:
Getting to 885 Park Avenue is simple:
From the J/M/Z:
Flushing Stop: Walk southeast on Broadway (toward Sumner Place, away from Thornton Street) and make a right on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block, on your right.
Myrtle Stop: Walk northwest on Broadway (toward Melrose Street, away from Troutman Street) and make a left on Park Avenue. We’re halfway down the block on the right.

From the G Train:
Flushing Avenue Stop: Walk south on Marcy Avenue (toward Hopkins Street, away from Wallabout Street) and turn left on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on the left.
Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues Stop: Walk north on Marcy Avenue (toward Stockton Street, away from Vernon Avenue) and turn right on Park Avenue. We’re three and a half blocks down on your left.

If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. Otherwise, we’ll see you at supper.

This event is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Anarchist Black Cross.–

ABCF-NYC
Post Office Box 110034
Brooklyn, New York 11211

nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net
blog
facebook
twitter
myspace
website

Free all Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War!
For the Abolition of State Repression and Domination!