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<\/a>March 26, 2017<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By Lamont Lilly<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lamont Lilly: Ramona, thank you for sharing your time with me today. \u00a0Current U.S. political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal is an international symbol of people\u2019s resistance. His writing and journalism have traveled worldwide. \u00a0Not only was he a founding member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party, Mumia was also an early supporter of the MOVE organization. (See \u201cWe Want Freedom: \u00a0A Life in the Black Panther Party,\u201d by Mumia Abu-Jamal) \u00a0What does Mumia mean to MOVE? \u00a0What does he mean to the city of Philadelphia?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Ramona Africa:<\/strong> Mumia began his journalistic career writing for the Black Panther Party newspaper at 14 or 15 years old. When it came to issues of the people, Mumia always covered these issues of concern. When he heard about the MOVE organization and began covering our demonstrations and court cases, Mumia would actually come to the prison and interview MOVE members right there.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumia\u2019s the only journalist that consistently and accurately reported on MOVE \u2014 the truth, I mean. And because he was telling the truth about MOVE and exposing what the system was doing, not only to MOVE, but to poor people, people of color, and even poor whites, he earned the scorn of the Philadelphia police department and [Mayor] Frank Rizzo. \u00a0(See tinyurl.com\/ly3w5b6<\/a>) He earned the scorn of city officials. He lost jobs.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumia used to work for National Public Radio. He worked for a local radio station here in Philadelphia called WBAF. He worked for the Philadelphia Tribune, the first Black publication in this country, I believe. But he ended up becoming a freelance journalist because the people he was working for were trying to make him compromise and tell the system\u2019s story, and not the truth. \u00a0Mumia would not compromise. He refused. He ended up becoming a freelance journalist and driving a cab part time to supplement his income and take care of his family. That\u2019s how he happened to be at 13th and Locust streets on Dec. 9, 1981.<\/span><\/p>\n LL: What happened on Dec. 9, 1981? \u00a0That particular evening is what led to Mumia\u2019s incarceration. Can you give us some details on that?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA: <\/strong>\u00a0Mumia was working at night, and on this particular night he was letting a fare off at 13th and Locust streets. He happened to see police lights circling. Being a journalist, he wanted to see what was going on. He went over to where the police vehicle was and saw this white cop beating this Black man. He went over a little closer to see about the brother, and to see if he could stop the cop from beating this man.<\/span><\/p>\n Mumia then realized that the man who was being beaten by the cop was his own brother, Billy. So, Mumia tried to intervene and ended up being shot by the cop. Shortly after that, someone shot the cop. Of course, they\u2019re saying that Mumia did it \u2014 but the conflicts here are unquestionable.<\/span><\/p>\n They said Officer Daniel Faulkner was shot with a .44-caliber gun. \u00a0That\u2019s what they said. Mumia was licensed to carry a gun because he had been robbed twice while driving his cab. He was driving the night shift, but Mumia\u2019s gun was a .38-caliber. Witnesses said that the person who shot the cop ran down the street and down this alleyway. Mumia was shot sitting on the curb. Shot! \u00a0He didn\u2019t run anywhere. But when they realized who they had \u2014 as in Mumia Abu-Jamal \u2014 who was right there in their grasp, they didn\u2019t look for anything else and didn\u2019t want to hear anything else. \u00a0This was their opportunity to get Mumia Abu-Jamal [former Black Panther], which the Philadelphia police department wanted to do for a long time.<\/span><\/p>\n People should know that a man named Arnold Beverly came forward and confessed to shooting Daniel Faulkner. He gave a whole r\u00e9sum\u00e9 about other cops who had been killed and everything. The courts said he wasn\u2019t credible. But how could they know that? They never let him come into court and testify. They said he \u201cwasn\u2019t credible\u201d and never even entertained his confession.<\/span><\/p>\n LL: \u00a0Mumia has been in prison for over three decades now, working on four, most of his time being in solitary confinement and on death row. \u00a0They\u2019ve tried to break him, but he continues to find strength and keep writing and teaching, even while incarcerated. Right now, Mumia is sick with hepatitis C. There has been a national movement to get Mumia the medicine that would cure it, but the state of Pennsylvania is not allowing that. \u00a0What the hell is going on?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA:<\/strong> Well, there are two attorneys fighting hard on this, Robert Boyle and Bret Grote, who have been fighting to get Mumia treated. (tinyurl.com\/lmy4z49<\/a>) \u00a0There is a cure for hepatitis C \u2014 and that\u2019s what they are pushing for. \u00a0It\u2019s a drug called Harvoni. \u00a0The thing is, it\u2019s a two-prong fight. Harvoni in India and Africa costs like $4 a pill, $7 a pill. In the United States, it\u2019s like $1,000 for one pill. The cure is a 90-day treatment. \u00a0You have to take it every day for 90 days. It is a proven cure, not just a \u201ctreatment.\u201d \u00a0This is the cure for hepatitis C.<\/span><\/p>\n One prong of this fight is the pharmaceutical companies. How can you dare charge people $1,000 a pill ($90,000 basically for the cure)? Yet, in other countries, much poorer countries, they\u2019re charging people $4 and $7 for this pill. I\u2019m not saying that they should raise the price of their pills. I\u2019m saying that these pharmaceutical companies here in the U.S. should not be charging $1,000 for it over here.<\/span><\/p>\n LL: You mentioned a \u201ctwo-prong\u201d fight. \u00a0What is the second problem that you all are fighting?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b>The other prong is what you just spoke on \u2014 the institution. Mumia is so well-known. The situation with him gets a lot of attention. What the institution is saying is that if they give the treatment to Mumia, then they will have to give it to the other 6,000 to 7,000 inmates in the state of Pennsylvania who also have hepatitis C. And yes, yes, you should! \u00a0You took custody of these people! You took responsibility for them! So yes, if they\u2019re sick, of course you\u2019re supposed to treat them! I mean, come on.<\/span><\/p>\n LL: I heard that the prison where Mumia Abu-Jamal is being detained doesn\u2019t have clean drinking water. Is that true? \u00a0You also have family members in that prison. What have you heard about this?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA:<\/strong>\u00a0 Let me tell you. I know people have heard about Flint, Mich. (tinyurl.com\/ludzcd4<\/a>), but contaminated water is not just in Flint. The prison that our brother, Eddie Africa, and Mumia are in is called Mahanoy Correctional Institution. The water there is so, so bad! It is so bad that they started giving the inmates three little Dixie cups of water with each meal. This is ridiculous! That\u2019s nine little Dixie cups of water per day because the regular water is not drinkable. This is what they\u2019re giving them, nine little Dixie cups of water per day? It\u2019s unreal! \u00a0Most people have no idea this is going on.<\/span><\/p>\n Where my brother Mike Africa is being incarcerated \u2014 at Graterford Prison here in Pennsylvania \u2014 the water is really bad there, too. He convinced the \u201cLifers Association\u201d to sell bottled water. It\u2019s one of their fundraisers. But he pays close to $20 for a case of water. That\u2019s ridiculous. He\u2019s spending $60 a month for water.<\/span><\/p>\n They were telling the guards straight up: Don\u2019t drink the water. \u00a0Bring your own. \u00a0My brother Mike works in the kitchen there, and he was telling me that in the guards\u2019 dining room they have filters on the water spigots, but not for the inmates, of course. \u00a0That is the state of what\u2019s happening in this country, not just with Mumia, but in prisons all over this country. (tinyurl.com\/mlmapdu<\/a>)<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s going to take for people to really \u2014 and I mean really! \u2014 get the message that this system and those running it are not operating in our interests, in the interests of the people. \u00a0Their only interest is money and keeping this system going. \u00a0I don\u2019t know when people are really going to get that, but we can\u2019t look to this system for anything.<\/span><\/p>\n LL: Speaking of \u201cthe system\u201d and those who are running it, what are your thoughts on the election of Donald Trump?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m not a Hillary Clinton fan at all, but the bottom line is they told people to their faces: \u201cYour vote doesn\u2019t count.\u201d \u00a0You don\u2019t elect the president. \u00a0They say that Hillary had over 2 million more votes than Donald Trump. \u00a0(tinyurl.com\/zkayrtu<\/a>) So, why he is now the president? \u00a0Because this mystical electoral college selects the president. \u00a0That\u2019s why. \u00a0It has nothing to do with who \u201cthe people\u201d elected. \u00a0They tell you that to your face, and you\u2019re still going to believe in this system? \u00a0You\u2019re still going to hallucinate that you can get something out if this?<\/span><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know what it\u2019s going to take for people to realize that we don\u2019t need this system. \u00a0We can\u2019t use or get anything from this system. \u00a0It\u2019s the system that needs us, that relies on the people, not the other way around. \u00a0We have to let this system go and make up our minds to do for ourselves, because we sure aren\u2019t getting anything from this system. \u00a0Nothing!<\/span><\/p>\n LL: We wish you and Brother Mumia Abu-Jamal much strength and continued resistance. \u00a0We honor your many sacrifices for the people. \u00a0Thank you for your time, Ramona!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n RA:<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b>\u00a0Thank you, Lamont. \u00a0Long live the revolution! \u00a0Free Mumia! \u00a0Ona move!<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n +++++++++++Former <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
U.S. political prisoner,<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
Ramona Africa, discusses<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
Mumia Abu-Jamal\u2019s<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
incarceration, <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
U.S. prisons and <\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
Donald Trump<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
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\nFormer U.S. political prisoner <\/span><\/i>Ramona Africa<\/i><\/b> is the Minister of Communication for the MOVE Organization and a Philadelphia-based organizer with the International Concerned Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal. \u00a0She is also the only living survivor of the 1985 MOVE bombing, when the FBI and Philadelphia police dropped two C-4 bombs on her organization\u2019s home, killing 11 people. \u00a0Read along as we discuss the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the conditions of U.S. prisons and Donald Trump.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>Lamont Lilly<\/strong> was the 2016 Workers World Party U.S. vice presidential candidate. In 2015, he was a U.S. delegate at the International Forum for Justice in Palestine in Beirut, Lebanon. \u00a0He is also an activist and organizer in the Black Lives Matter movement.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n