Garvey's Ghost: Black Talk

Hands Off Assata!!

Recently it was reported that the bounty for Assata Shakur's capture has been raised from $150,000 to a cool 1 millon. Why?

For those of you who do not know, Assata Shakur alone with Malik Shakur and Sundiata Akoli were stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1979 for "having a tailight out." Let me pause here to comment on this:

I live in New Jersey. I have been stopped twice for "having a tailight out" by racist pig cops one of whome had me exit my vehicle, IN THE FUCKING RAIN, so he could show me the "out"taillight" that was clearly on. His intent was clearly to agitate me as an excuse for taking me to jail or worse. fortunately for me a white male in a minivan stopped behind the officer and started askign for directions. At this point I went back into my vehicle. I am positive that had that individual not stopped I would have been brutalized or worse.

My second incident involved no less than FOUR state troopers, one of which had a gun pointed at me. The absolutely BOGUS claim that the officer had "never seen a temporary out of state transport plate." was the excuse he had to have me surrounded by officers and ask me at gunpoint whether he could search my vehicle.

So let me say that I have absolutely NO SYMPATHY for any police Officer who gets leaded for violating the rights of black people to travel freely.


Continuing:

According to the Afro-Cuba website Shakur states:

On May 2, 1973 I, along with Zayd Malik Shakur and Sundiata Acoli were stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike, supposedly for a "faulty tail light." Sundiata Acoli got out of the car to determine why we were stopped. Zayd and I remained in the car. State trooper Harper then came to the car, opened the door and began to question us. Because we were black, and riding in a car with Vermont license plates, he claimed he became "suspicious." He then drew his gun, pointed it at us, and told us to put our hands up in the air, in front of us, where he could see them. I complied and in a split second, there was a sound that came from outside the car, there was a sudden movement, and I was shot once with my arms held up in the air, and then once again from the back. Zayd Malik Shakur was later killed, trooper Werner Foerster was killed, and even though trooper Harper admitted that he shot and killed Zayd Malik Shakur, under the New Jersey felony murder law, I was charged with killing both Zayd Malik Shakur, who was my closest friend and comrade, and charged in the death of trooper Forester. Never in my life have I felt such grief. Zayd had vowed to protect me, and to help me to get to a safe place, and it was clear that he had lost his life, trying to protect both me and Sundiata. Although he was also unarmed, and the gun that killed trooper Foerster was found under Zayd’s leg, Sundiata Acoli, who was captured later, was also charged with both deaths. Neither Sundiata Acoli nor I ever received a fair trial. We were both convicted in the news media way before our trials. No news media was ever permitted to interview us, although the New Jersey police and the FBI fed stories to the press on a daily basis. In 1977, I was convicted by an all- white jury and sentenced to life plus 33 years in prison. In 1979, fearing that I would be murdered in prison, and knowing that I would never receive any justice, I was liberated from prison, aided by committed comrades who understood the depths of the injustices in my case, and who were also extremely fearful for my life.

I'm going to assume that Either Acoli or Shakur actually shot the officer involved. And with that assumption they are still innocent. That the officer fired at the unarmed passengers meant that these individuals were in danger and had the right to defend themselves, with deadly force.

Meanwhile Superintendant "Fuentez" (Who I will refer to as a "spanish speaking cracker") makes a press announcement:

State Police Superintendent Col. Rick Fuentes said he hopes the sweetened reward will encourage someone to come forward with information leading to the capture of Chesimard, who has been living in Cuba under the protection of Fidel Castro's government.

"We have pretty long institutional memories," Fuentes said at a news conference at State Police headquarters on the 32nd anniversary of the killing. "This is a debt that she owes to the residents of the state of New Jersey for the crimes she committed."

"Fuentes" doesn't represent me or a great deal of people in Newark, Irvington, Englewood, Trenton and other black neighborhoods.

Albertop Gonzalezm, the new "spanish speaking cracker" in the Just-us department apparently approved new funds for this new public interest in Shakur:


The money from the United States Justice Department, personally approved by Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, will be paid for information leading to her safe capture. It would not be paid if Chesimard is killed in a capture attempt, Fuentes said.


BUt what is perhaps saddest about this thing is the silence emanating from the so-called "black press" and so called "black leadership." who concerned with advertisers and votes are to scared to even take on these evil people. Even if one does not agree with my position that crooked cops deserve lead, the evidence presented in Shakurs trails clearly shows that she and he comrades were victims. And we're taling 1979. 1979 folks. And it is CLEARLY documented how the NJ STate Troopers do. CLEARLY!!.

I thank Olodumare for Fidel Castro having the balls to stand up to the US in this case and hope anyone who attempts to put a hand on Shakur gets leaded.