See you in April: A Month of Action for Bomani Shakur

Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement is inviting you to participate in a month of solidarity actions for Bomani Shakur (Keith Lamar). 

This April, 2020, we invite you to participate in a month of actions and events for comrade Bomani Shakur.

Bomani Shakur has been showering our world with beautiful gifts. His words and actions haven’t missed a beat in elevating those he knows and even those he has never met. Shakur is best known for the 1993 Lucasvile Uprising, a rebellion inside the walls of an Ohio prison against tyranny and harsh conditions.

In the aftermath Bomani was falsely accused of having murdered prisoners and having “led a death squad.” No physical evidence connects him to the murders that took place when the prison in Lucasville was in uprising. The verdict itself only came about due to a forced testimony by a prisoner turned snitch. In 2004 Bomani wrote a book called Condemned, to highlight his life and the truth about what happened. Prisoners organizing, confronting their oppressor and the organizers being attacked by the state as retaliation is nothing new. In 1971 prisoners in San Quentin, California revolted, George Jackson was killed and Hugo Pinell would spend the following 44 years in California’s harshest prisons only to be stabbed to death in 2015 by white supremacists. It’s important to recognize that prisoners stand up, organize and are attacked by the state for it. In response, the prisoner strikes back by persevering, surviving and continuing to build with fellow prisoners and those of us on this side of the wall.

As we see with letters, articles or the book Bomani wrote, the message carried by his words have touched people inside and out and spread far. How could a man sitting on death row, his execution date only three years away, be the source of so much kindness and inspiration?

It is because, as he says, this situation is much bigger than him. This is about the entire movement.

It is about how we come together, learn how to work together, and prepare to unseat those in power who are running the most efficient life destroying machine: the prison system.

He is clear how this works on his end: he’s not interested in allowing others to characterize him as unsuccessful, as a victim. He doesn’t want activists crowding around, showing pity. It is not for them to decide who he is and if he is successful. Success has already begun the day you decide to get up and do something about the situation. He is looking for collaborators, people who understand and want to struggle together.

This is where we come in. The fact that the state has set Bomani Shakur’s date of execution is not a moment of tragedy or for despair, but a moment to build from, and to be moved to action.
This is how we follow his excellent example and this is how we turn this situation against the state. Their system thrives off despair. We will build our bonds of solidarity, lines of communication, respectful dialogue, and comradely exchange. We will amplify the words of Bomani Shakur, and become an impenetrable and irretractable force; a force for life, a force for comradeship. We will be as kind and accepting to our comrades and those hunted by the state, as we are dangerous to and unrelenting against the prisons.

We begin with April: a month of solidarity actions with Bomani. Please join in this initiative by: holding a letter writing event, screening the movie about the Lucasville uprising, putting up posters, posting about it on social media, hanging banners, inviting Bomani to do a call-in event with you and your comrades, or any other action or event that raises his profile and builds the kind of movement that is a reflection of his steadfastness and generosity.

April is the anniversary month of the Lucasville prison uprising: a powerful decision to stand up and reclaim a life of dignity and an example of the power of unity among prisoners. This month is to raise awareness about Bomani and his contributions, and by doing so, to build stronger connections with one another, and with comrades inside.

Join together with us and carry forward Bomani’s strength and spirit!

From your comrades in

Anarchists Worldwide
Antifa Sacramento
Atlanta Abolition
Blue Ridge ABC
Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement
Salish Sea Black Autonomists
Page One Collective

To sign on to this call, message:
revolutionaryabolitionistmovement@protonmail.com 

Resources

 Poster to download

The movie The Shadow of Lucasville:
https://vimeo.com/73858846

Zines about Lucasville:

https://ia800706.us.archive.org/32/items/RepressionBreedsResistance/CurryZine-Dec2018.pdf
https://archive.org/details/NeverDormant/page/n1/mode/2up
https://archive.org/details/LucasvilleIntro/mode/2up

Write to Bomani:
Address letters to: Bomani Shakur
Address envelopes to:
Keith LaMar, #317-117
OSP
878 Coitsville-Hubbard Road
Youngstown, OH, 44505

Bomani’s book:
https://www.keithlamar.org/condemned

Articles by Bomani:
https://sfbayview.com/2019/02/%ef%bb%bfbomani-shakur-from-ohios-death-row-racism-is-evil-kill-it/
https://sfbayview.com/2020/03/bomani-shakur-confront-the-darkness-together-to-overcome-it/
https://sfbayview.com/2018/10/an-execution-date-should-not-be-scheduled-for-bomani-shakur-keith-lamar/
https://sfbayview.com/2016/01/bomani-shakur-keith-lamar-innocent-on-death-row/
https://sfbayview.com/2015/11/ohio-death-row-political-prisoner-bomani-shakur-keith-lamar-speaks/
https://sfbayview.com/2015/11/keith-lamar-bomani-shakur-and-other-lucasville-prisoners-on-hunger-strike-since-nov-9/


Support websites:
https://lucasvillejustice.wordpress.com
https://www.keithlamar.org
https://www.lucasvilleamnesty.org/


To learn more about the 1971 San Quentin uprising:
https://nycabc.wordpress.com/2015/08/13/rest-in-power-hugo-pinell

2020 Goal: Greg Curry Needs an Attorney that will Fight for Freedom

I am a friend of Greg Curry, a Lucasville Uprising prisoner who is incarcerated at Toledo Correctional Facility in OH.  Greg is looking to connect with a civil rights attorney that will represent him or give him legal advice, in his fight for freedom.  Finding an attorney to overturn Greg's convictions will serve the important political purpose of building momentum towards amnesty/clemency for all Lucasville Uprising prisoners.

 

While being part of a prisoner advocacy group in Pittsburgh for the last 3 years, I visited and corresponded with some of the Lucasville Uprising survivors incarcerated in OH and got involved in the Lucasville Amnesty campaign.  If you're not familiar with that case, there was an uprising at Southern OH Correctional Facility (aka Lucasville) in 1993 that was sparked from horrendously inhumane prison conditions at the state prison.  The uprising resulted in the death of a correctional officer and nine prisoners. The investigation and trial were flagrantly flawed and relied on snitch testimony, which resulted in five innocent people on death row and others with life sentences.  A documentary on the case, The Shadow of Lucasville, is available on YouTube for more background.
 

One of those folks who received a life sentence is Greg Curry. In 2018, after 20 years of solitary confinement, Greg was transferred out of the supermax Ohio State Prison.  His supporters helped him win the transfer to Toledo Correctional Facility, which was a huge victory.  We want to keep the momentum going. Greg needs legal representation that will help him overturn the false convictions. Unlike the death row defendants, Greg has not been entitled to a state appointed attorney.  At Toledo Correctional, he has finally been able to access a law library, and would love to discuss his research with an attorney. 
 

His conviction should be easy to overturn, as prosecutors admitted to misconduct on appeal.  It's been difficult to find attorneys in OH that will pick up the case, because the case was so politically volatile.  Also, Greg has two simultaneous convictions for defending himself against the staff who targeted him because of the uprising. The Innocence Project said his case was very good and were ready to take it, until they learned that these other convictions would prevent Greg’s release even if they won. 

Finding an attorney to overturn Greg's convictions will serve the important political purpose of building momentum towards amnesty/clemency for all Lucasville Uprising prisoners.  Amnesty would also demand the dismissal of Greg's self defense convictions.  Bomani Shakur (Keith LaMar), one of the death row prisoners, recently received his execution date for November 16, 2023. Time is limited to raise the profile of the Lucasville case and push for amnesty before the ODRC claims lives. 

Alice and Staughton Lynd, renowned labor organizers and prisoner advocates, have been assisting Greg and other Lucasville Uprising prisoners with their cases and helping them battle the retaliation they have faced for decades now.  They have years' worth of research on the case, but being in their old age, they are looking for other attorneys onto which they could pass their knowledge. They would be a valuable resource for any interested attorney looking to take on Greg's case.  

Greg uses his website and social media platform to advocate for other prisoners and causes he cares about.  Please post this request for legal assistance on your social media and send emails out to your networks to help get the word out for Greg.  Any recommendations for attorney offices or legal advocates would be much appreciated.  You can also post about Greg's zine, Repression Breeds Resistance, so readers can hear his story in his own words.  Funds are being raised for Greg's legal representation.  

"Freedom First!"

Marisa E.
Lucasville Amnesty
ltp@riseup.net

Further reading:
gregcurry.org
Justice for Greg Curry Facebook    
Repression Breeds Resistance, Greg Curry (printer ready version)

Greg can be contacted online via JPAY, or sent mail at:

Greg Curry #213-159
Toledo C.I.
2001 East Central Ave.
Toledo, OH 43608

A message from Bomani/Keith to the many friends (70!) who contributed to the fundraiser for this his 50th birthday:

Hello Everybody,

If you are receiving this message it means you were secretly in on the most amazing birthday gift I have ever received, and I'm writing to personally thank each and every one of you for reminding me that there's still so much goodness in this world. More than the money attached, I'm humbled by the fact that so many people were involved in making my life a little better/easier.

Hasan's SMP Restrictions Lifted!

Here's a message Hasan sent to supporters last week:

Revolutionary Greetings!

Just a few lines to let you and others know that I have finally received my final appeal on my SMP hearing. On Thursday May 9, the chief legal counsel for ODRC reversed some of my convictions and upheld some. He ruled that all my privileges should be reinstated. While this is true, I am still dissatisfied with this and will be pursuing legal actions.

Updates on my appeal and situation should be coming soon. You should be able to stay posted by visiting LucasvilleAmnesty.org

I am doing well and remain hopeful about many things, so please do not worry about me.

Take care and keep the faith.

Imam Hasan

Greg Curry Mother’s Day Message

To the lady that woke up before her kids to prepare breakfast, layout school clothes, and be sure we got off to school on time, the lady who then also went off to work and returned home to cook dinner, check our homework, hug us an know where and who we was outside playing with. 

The woman that never mentioned being a feminist nor equal rights for woman but made sure her boys cooked/cleaned/washed clothes and went grocery shopping. Her reasoning was will share completely in domestic duties once we found a mate and not treat someone else’s daughter as a servant. 

This woman could punish me, then hug me to explain why and I’d know I was loved and protected by a strong beautiful mom she never made excuses for my behaviour in fact she was more likely than not to believe the cops. That is, until 1993 after the prison riot, she drove to southern Ohio and sat in the courtroom of some hostile people & cops listening to all the evidence and for the firsy time in my life of crime my mom was convinced that I was being lied on by people trying to save their own skin, but she never left me. 

To this day she’s always within reach. Once, many years ago I had been out all night and on the way home from the otherside of town I saw someone selling motherday flowers & paintings. I purchased both and drove to my mom’s place saying “happy mothers day” her glance told her I’d been out all night. She smiled, hugged me, took the gifts & said “boy you know I don't celebrate that stuff.” I could tell she appreciated the thought and I was happy to be her boy!!

Due to her faith, she doesn't celebrate holidays I hope my mom can hear my heart as I say happy Mother’s Day.

Greg Curry on how to observe Earth Day, 2019.

My ideals on how we can observe Earth Day 2019 and why:

1) Clean a elder neighbor’s yard

2) Make a list of fracking sites in your area and number of earthquakes since fracking began in that area, then tweet/use instagram about it


3) Research history of the land use before the prison in your area was built, connect that to complaints prisoners have with toxicity inside the prisons

4) Make others aware of enviromental regulations Trump has deregulated and the potential inpact of that

5) Create a small garden, help a elder maintain theirs.

We must be reactive and proactive! There are no border walls between good and bad air, good and bad water. The earth is ours, lets reclaim it!

Freedom First,
Greg Curry

Targeted Harassment of D Cannon

Lucasville uprising survivor Derek Cannon has again been target of harassment by staff at OSP.

Please write Derek a letter of support at:

Derek Cannon
#221-663
OSP
878 Coitsville Hubbard Rd
Youngstown OH 44505
Birthday07/21/1960

Here's his story about recent incidents...

Hello and how are you doing? First and foremost, "thank you" for your time, concern and offer of support!

Honestly I don't know what to do, I'm at witts end. It's like, I'm very clear on what I'm up against, but don't really know how nor have the resources to fight it.