Editor's Note: This statement was written by New African political prisoner Jalil Muntaqim -- Anthony Jalil Bottom -- for the September 21, 1996 founding rally of the kNOw INJUSTICE Coalition, held at Dolores Park in San Francisco, 1996.
A month ago this very day some 25 years ago something happened that consequently directly impacted my life. On August 21, 1971, the government assassinated George Lester Jackson in San Quentin prison. The following week, on August 28, 1971, on 16th and Alabama Street, myself and Albert "Nuh" Washington was captured after a shoot-out with San Francisco police. It was alleged and we were convicted of attempting to assassinate a San Francisco police seargeant in retaliation of the assassination of George Jackson. We have been in prison for the last 25 years from the day of our capture on 16th and Alabama on August 28, 1971.
I raise this with you to ask the following question: What event, situation or happening in the struggle for class and national liberation has impacted your life to forever make you a person in perpetual revolutionary motion? Do you take strength from that event, situation or happening? It is important to be ever mindful of your commitment and capacity to sacrifice to push forward the struggle against racism, capitalist exploitation and U.S. imperialism.
As you rally today and demonstrate your opposition to government repression and racism, let this date remind you of your fervor and commitment in struggle. Let this day strengthen our resolve to fight harder and do more to ensure the success of our ideals and movement... If you do this, then this day will have an impact on my life as did August 21, 1971, and your increased commitment and action will strengthen me, it will sustain me -- if need be, for another 25 years. But, if you are true to your commitment -- then I know our number of political prisoners will soon be free to join you in a victory dance of liberation.
Venceremos, A. Jalil Bottom
Jalil has contributed much to the analysis of the politics of prisons, including:
- "The Cold War of the 90's" in Issue #52 of Prison News Service, Sept. - Oct. 1995.
- "The Criminalization of Poverty" is a chapter of Schooling the Generations in the Politics of Prison, edited by Chinosole (Berkeley, CA: New Earth Publications, 1996).
For his current address, see the list of U.S. political prisoners at prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/pplist-alpha.shtml
Statement by Jalil Bottom | New York Three Update June 97 | Herman Bell | Nuh Washington