Father of Jamal
Convicted on the year I was conceived; 1982
I struggle to drape my head around the legacy I was born into
And you forcefully inherited as a free thinking black man
Allow me to use this taxi chit
To take a few minutes as attempt to ride the broken wheels of justice that lead nowhere
Through the alleyways and backhanded doors
Crawling with crowning prostitutes they took to convict you.
My brother, prince Mumia
Your script is very familiar to me
It spins several spectrums of race, class, injustice and the political power structure of America
Your life is a movie I saw, a book I read, a black man’s circumstance I witnessed
And do not wish to relive.
You are a unanimous guilty verdict deliberated swiftly in three hours of deliberation based on hatred and racism.
You are quality of two things;
Being an outspoken, intelligent black man effective in reaching the masses
And having been at the wrong place at conveniently the right time
For big brother aka the FBI aka the CIA aka the KKK is always watching
And would never let a Black Panther youth brew into his full potential.
Although they may have your flesh falsely confined in 6x8 frame
I shall never accept the picture they paint and attempt to perfect before my eyes
May your spirits strive to reach the distance your voice has carried you thus far
Across continents, races, hurdles, into intellectual abyss
In your own words, may you continue to "spend your days preparing for life and not death"
For your truth although delayed,
Derailed,
Is still determined to reach its destination insh’allah (God willing)
Mumia Abu Jamal: Humanitarian, author, journalist, activist, father, freedom fighter, icon, husband, honorary citizen of 25 countries worldwide, example of unwavering persistence.
Hayat Lyfe
Copyright © 2010
No comments:
Post a Comment