“Who is Mumia Abu-Jamal?
He is one of us …… ”
We are women and men who love and hope.
We are sisters and brothers who refuse to be
limited by the false boundaries and parameters
of those who would divide us.
We feel the music in words like Amandla and Venceremous.
And we struggle for the ideas and histories
embodied in these words.
When the word Libertad crosses our teeth it
leaves the sweet taste of freedom on our tongues.
We have cried and sung these words as
Lolita Lebron and Nelson Mandela
walked out through prison walls.
We laughed victorious as Assata Shakur flew
back into the whirlwind.
And we will sway with the dance of life when
Mumia Walks arm in arm with his family.
We have heard Billie’s ‘Strange Fruit’
Nina’s ‘Mississippi God Damn’
and Abby’s ‘Freedom Suite’
Grooved to Coltrane and Mingus and Monk,
Gil Scott-Heron’s ‘Grandma’s Hands’ and ‘Johanesburg’.
And Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ and ‘Redemption Songs’.
These songs of freedom move us, move us to feel,
move us to act, and act we must.
We hope with all of our hearts, that you will too.
FREE MUMIA !
Tom Manning – January 1, 1997