Texas murders Shaka Sankofa; And Louisiana ends its private prison for juveniles Shaka Sankofa, formerly known as Gary Graham, was executed by the State of Texas on June 22, 2000. Despite a weak case against him, unfair process in his trail, and widespread protest from around the world, Texas murdered him. In his final statement he said, "I'm being lynched. The death penalty is a holocaust for black Americans." This report is by a Texas prisoner. The political assassination of Shaka Sankofa is part of white supremacy and national oppression -- not just an ideology, but a value system, a culture, a fact in the imperialist system of power. White supremacy permeates every single aspect of our lives, either as perpetrator or victim. So, it should come as no surprise that George W. Bush, and the parole board he put together, along with the courts that previous presidents, including his own father, put together would proceed with the assassination of Shaka Sankofa. However much people talk about international solidarity of "the" working class, the fact is that national oppression, and its racial expression, is primary in this country. That's why white workers could bring their white working class children to the lynching of a Black and be entertained by the target practicing, mutilating and burning of the helpless Black victim. Or why the white workers and their white working class children are so intent on reversing any and all "gains" make by Black (along with our white friends) struggle, whether those gains were civil rights, workers' rights, or prisoners' rights. There is a white-wing assault, and George W. Bush is a standard bearer. The Bush boys, George and Jeb (governors of Texas and Florida), were born and raised in West Texas, in Midland. West Texas is desert. There are a few Blacks that live in the Midland/Odessa area, but the area is overwhelmingly Hispanic and white. In terms of the attitudes of whites from this area, one would be hard- pressed to find any who did not view and treat Blacks any differently than Klansmen. In Midland, the Confederate Air Force and Museum plays a prominent role in the political and social life. Yes, Texas has a CONFEDERATE air force! There was no flight during the U.S. Civil War. And they're crying about a flag in South Carolina. West Texas was the recipient of several prisons under Bush's welfare program. Not counting two units in Amarillo, Bush gave West Texas 15 prison units. The Texas prison guard uniform is an exact replica of the Texas Confederate uniform. Texas prisoners must say "yes, sir / no, sir," "yes, ma'am / no ma'am," or "yes, sir, boss" (page 15, Inmate Orientation Handbook). These demons have hundreds of acres of fields where vegetables and cotton are grown. On this plantation, as on others, they have combines to pick their cotton, but they have prisoners picking the cotton, singing slave songs as they do, with some punk slave driver on a horse with a pistol making sure they slaves don't miss a boll. This is slavery to the fullest. On some plantations, the field hands have to be counted, and when they walk past the overseers on the horses they have to take their hats off. This is the same thing the Black slaves of 1700 and the Black people of Jim Crow Amerikkka of the 1900s had to do when in the presence of a white working class person: hold your hat in your hand and never look Mr. Charlie in the eye. Up until about 1971 Black folks still have to step off of the sidewalk when a white worker was on it. Here in Texas prisons we are still required to step off the sidewalk when the white worker (represented by the Confederate soldier of any race) is on the "sidewalk." Instead of a curb, however, there is a painted yellow line. In Texas we're still stepping off the sidewalks. Prisoners held in Texas prisons do not get paid for their labor. There are two units where the State of Texas built those complexes for private manufacturers to use prisoner labor They are, technically, not TDJC-ID units. They've turned the plantation over to private concerns. The prisoners who make it to one of the manufacturing units are on "pre- release" status and their numbers are statistically insignificant -- 200-300 prisoners out of 150,000. What all these factors demonstrate is a slave state. It is against this backdrop that the assassination of Sankofa must be viewed. Simply put, Bush, adept at reading the pulse of his constituency, took no political gamble but instead gave the people what they wanted. The day after the assassination Bush led Gore in the polls by 16-20%.(1) But the Democratic Party generally and Al Gore specifically also support the racist death penalty, explicitly in the party platform, and in speeches in which he brags about expanding the death penalty.(2) In the weeks that followed the Democratic convention Gore's poll numbers pulled even with or passed Bush's.(3) Bush and Gore are the standard bearers of white supremacy. As the Fort Worth newspaper demonstrated, whites interviewed said Shaka "got what he deserved," that "the system worked," that "he had his day in court," and that the Parole Board "did the right thing." Notes: 1. The Fort Worth Star Telegram, on June 23, p. A13. 2. AlGore2000.com. 3. MIM does not oppose all executions, if they are very limited and carried out under a people's justice system. But we oppose the Amerikan injustice system's death penalty. See MIM Notes 214, July 15, 2000. In a few moments we will bring you a commentary by Mumia Abu Jamal. Mumia is a Black Nation revolutionary fighting for his life on Pennsylvania's death row. Mumia was framed for the murder of a police officer because he is an outspoken opponent of Amerikan imperialism. This Mumia Abu Jamal commentary was recorded by Bruderhof Radio. Bruderhof Radio can be contacted at www.freespeech.org SLASH bruderhof, or via the phone numbers 1 800 778 8361 or area code 914 658-8351. [Assata Shakur from Man is the bastard track 11 0:40] [Maj on graham, 2:25] -- Louisiana ends privatized juvenile prisons, but attack on oppressed nation youth continues The State of Louisiana agreed to make superficial changes in its juvenile prison system on September 7 to settle various pending lawsuits.(1) The lawsuits, including one launched by the U.S. so- called Department of Justice, stated that youth in Louisiana's prison system had been brutalized and denied basic needs like medical and dental care, food and clothing. The State of Louisiana, as well as other plaintiffs, are satisfied to attribute the brutality against youth to the privatized youth facilities run by the Wackenhut Corrections Corporation. However, the changes, while temporarily good for the youth incarcerated in Louisiana, amount only to superficial modifications within a system bent on brutalizing oppressed nations -- and utilizing the fascist means of privatized prisons when possible. The oppression of Amerika's internal semi-colonies is enforced by its prison system. Whether it is Wackenhut or a state-run facility or the Corrections Corporation of Amerika, the reality that Amerika locks up oppressed nations at a higher rate than Apartheid South Africa does not change. Increased arrests and incarceration of oppressed nation youth are not halted if privatization is stopped. Amerikans may not want to hear about stories of youth being denied food or being forced to lie in feces-covered cells, but they have no qualms about keeping the next generation of oppressed nation members behind bars. A report, conducted by Building Blocks for Youth, an advocate organization, released earlier in 2000 showed that while arrests of white nation youth were higher, oppressed nation youth faced detention and more severe punishment more than white nation youth. For example, 15% of all youth age 10-17 are Black, but 26% of incarcerated youth in the same age group are Black. Once in custody, Black youth are "more likely than whites to be formally charged and jailed, and far more likely to have their cases referred to adult courts. The study found this difference was present, even when black and white youth are charged with the same crime. White youth were more likely than black youth to be sentenced to probation."(2) Black youth are five times more likely to be detained than white youth, even if charged with the same crime. And incarceration rates for First Nation and Latino youth are 2.5 times higher than for white youth.(2) MIM does not want to see more white youth locked up, but this information demonstrates that oppressed nations are disproportionately imprisoned regardless of age. Whatever the methods of incarceration, whoever the owners of the prisons, the imperialist system cannot reform its prison policies enough to end the oppression embedded within the system. Like the statistics of incarceration, details of material conditions within youth facilities mirror that of the rest of Amerika's prison system. The denial of basic needs for youth should not surprise regular listeners of this program. Bourgeois reports state that youth were deprived blankets, clothing, medical care, food etc. One report stated that a prison pig forced a 17- year old, who had recently had surgery and wore a colostomy bag, to lie face down with the pig's knee in his back. The suit filed by the U.S. Department of INjustice sited "the use of corporal punishment, excessive force, and gas grenades, chemical restraints and isolation"(3) Similar details roll into MIM's mailbox regarding the conditions within prisons across Amerika, however little notice is taken when the victims are adult prisoners. In both situations, the violence should be attributed to Amerika's entire political and prison system. The culprit is not merely one wayward cop or one private- prison corporation. The culprit is the system that enables settler nation members, corporations and the government to profit politically and financially from increased incarceration and brutality. Public statements following the settlement stated that Louisiana was attempting to "cut costs" in its deal with Wackenhut. Critics say that cutting corners in this way meant skimping on such things as training. It does not take training to know that humyns need clothing and food. Private prison contracts for youth facilities in Louisiana meant an $845,000 kick-back to former Governor Edwin Edwards.(1) 1. The New York Times, 8 Sep 2000 2. http://www.cnn.com/2000/LAW/04/25/juvenile.justice/ 3. http://www.cnn.com/2000/US/03/30/dangerous.jail/ 4. MIM Theory #11, "Amerikkkan Prisons on Trial", available from MIM for $6 --- This is a letter from an Indiana prisoner I love to share your papers with other comrades and watch them light up with excitement for finally hearing something that they can relate, that isn't a dream of a big piece of pie in the end. I was glad to read about brotha Mumia Abu-Jamal! At least there was some positive info to report. Getting to the point where he will know his fate will be less of a burden on him. I felt that way going through trial. Alot of things you report don't surprise me cause the truth always come to the light, and your paper has perfect examples. I was glad to hear Brotha Leonard Peltier's story as well, the people needs to hear about all comrades trapped in the dungeons of the United $nakes. FIGHT THE POWER! -- Bro for a Cause, an Indiana prisoner.