There will be a critical symposium on the subject of Black Political Imprisonment held on April 23rd, 2011 at the African and African Diaspora Studies Department in the GRG building, 2nd floor at the University of Texas, Austin. The symposium will serve as a gathering point for Black people to discuss the continued imprisonment of Black radical activist, discuss key questions surrounding their imprisonment, and develop practical steps toward freeing these leaders immediately.
To all Black people who are concerned about our conditions in America, your unique perspectives on the struggle, trials and incarceration of Black political activists in the US would make a significant contribution to a dialogue with activists and scholars seeking to build on historical social justice endeavors.
Millions of Black people are ensnared (in prisons, jails, half-way houses, wearing ankle bracelets, on parole) within the United States. Incarceration itself is political and its constituent element, the truth though not the totality of incarceration, is anti-Black racism and gendered violence. We also recognize that debates abound among Black activists and scholars, inside and outside the Prison Industrial Complex, about political prisoners and social prisoners, reformist and radical responses to the prison industrial complex’s racial-sexual impetus.
This symposium recognizes that debate, and supports our focusing on that sector of the Black incarcerated population imprisoned for its deliberate, organized, opposition to state violence; and those politicized while incarcerated who become activists. We hope to come to grips not only with the history and topics surrounding mobilizations and insurrections dating from the 1970s but also to address forms of violence that dictate new mobilizations for today. We hope to collectively develop a constructive critique to animate the activism and scholarship around political prisoners, something that we have not been able or willing to yet do in order to address the plight of Black political prisoners and the levels of anti-black violence.
We need to think the “unthought”; to move beyond the museum of political imprisonment as we seek to better comprehend why Black political incarceration remains so unchallenged, and what it means in terms of our relation to violence from the state, from sexual-gendered oppression, and among ourselves.
The organizers of this symposium also invite the community to contribute on the topic of “Black Political Imprisonment, Here and Now!” to the HTLC digital repository<harriettubmanlc@gmail.com>:
http://repositories.lib.utexas.edu/handle/2152/7828
They are interested in any relevant articles/essays, art, poetry, music, theoretical and/or cultural contributions that you have authored and would permit to be posted on the digital repository. The aim is to upload contributions before the April 23rdgathering in order to have better informed discussions and debates.
Mumia Abu Jamal, Assata Shakur, and Safiyah Bukhari, as well as hundreds and thousands of others, have struggled for justice despite rejection and repression. In Black traditions, repression and resistance appear on the same path. We gather to discuss and debate our options.
Symposium Organizers
Joao Costa Vargas, Anthropology, UT Austin costavargas@mail.utexas.edu
Joy James, Humanities, Williams College jjames@williams.edu
Frank B. Wilderson III, African American Studies and Drama, UC Irvine wilderson11@yahoo.com
I really hope there will be new initiatives to free Mumia Abu-Jamal in the US soon. If we can’t free a prisoner like him who is so openly discriminated not only because of race but for his political insights and ability to comunicate these – whom will we be able to free otherwise?
Anton,
If you are in Texas, the Houston, Austin, or Dallas area you should definately attend this symposium and bring up this important fact. I know Mumia will be a central topic, but we can use all the input and ideas about some practical steps to free Mumia and all our political prisoners.
We hope to see you there on April 23rd!!