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August 7,1991—7 he Portland Observer--Page 9
CIVIL RIGHTS JOURNAL
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By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
Freedom Now for Geronimo Pratt
The ju s t demand fo r freedom o f
p o litic a l prisoners is a demand that
most A m ericans are co m fo rta b le w ith
m aking in the interest o f human rights
throughout the w o rld , but w ith one e x
ception and that is when the p o litic a l
prisoners are being held here inside the
U nited States. Today, how ever, thou
sands o f people are now raising their
voices to dem and the freedom o f one o f
the longest held p o litic a l prisoners in
the U nited Suites: G e ro n im o Ji Jaga
Pratt.
F o r m ore than 21 years G eronim o
Pratt has been u n ju stly im prisoned in
the state o f C a lifo rn ia . R ecently, C o n
gressman Ronald D ellum s (Dem. - C A .)
and renow ned actor, Danny G lover,
wrote an open le tte r suiting, “ W e w rite
on b e h a lf o f G e ro n im o Ji Jaga Pratt, a
this tim e in histo ry than the case o f o u r
brother, G e ro n im o Pratt. H is unjust
incarceration stands as an a ffro n t to the
C h ristia n fa ith , and we intend to stand
0979.
A p o litic a l p riso n e r is a “ p risoner
o f conscience,’ ’ a person w h o has been
un ju stly im prisoned because o f th e ir
p o litic a l acts o f conscience to c h a l
lenge in ju stice . The state and the g o v
w ith him and his fa m ily and this c o m
m u n ity that desperately needs c o m m it
ted leaders lik e G e ro n im o back in o u r
ernm ent im p riso n these innocent p e r
sons in an attem pt to “ sile n ce ” th e ir
voice o f o p p o sitio n to in ju stive . M a rtin
L u th e r K in g , Jr. was a p o litic a l prisoner
c o m m u n ity and ch u rc h .”
Based on o u r re vie w o f the record
o f the tria l, subsequent legal file s , and
other new evidence that has surface, it
on m any occassions.
The latest news is that the m any
was concluded that G eronim o Pratt is
in fact a p o litic a l prisoner and is not
years o f unjust im p riso n m e n t has taken
a to ll on G e ro n im o ’ s health. A sse m b ly-
man W illie L . B ro w n , Speaker o f the
Assembly o f C a lifo rn ia Legislature, has
g u ilty o f the alleged m u rd e ro f a p o lic e
man in Santa M o n ica , C a lifo rn ia o ver
tw o decades ago. A s a d ire c t result o f
P ratt’ s e ffe ctive a ctivism in the A f r i
others were fa lse ly accused on num er
continued incarceration and dete rio ra
tion o f his health. It is therefore c ritic a l
that im m ediate letters o f protest, p e ti
tions, and o ther com m u n ica tio n s be
onim o and others rem ain in ja il fo r the
stands they to o k rather than the crimes
ous allegations in a system atic attem pt
to “ c rim in a liz e ” the ju s t struggles o f
the A fric a n A m e rica n c o m m u n ity fo r
they purportedly com m itted. Please jo in
w ith thousands o f in d ivid u a ls thrcugh-
out the w o rld w ho believe, as we do,
that G e ro n im o ’ s release is twenty-one
sent in support o f the “ unco n d itio n a l
release” o f G e ro n im o P ratt to the C a li
fo m ia l Parole B oard, G o ve rn o r Pete
empowerm ent.
F o r all the m illio n s o f persons in
this nation and fro m around the w o rld
W ilso n , m e m b e rs o f the U.S. Congress,
A m nesty In te rn a tio n a l, and to the In
ternational C am paign T o Free G e ro n
im o Pratt.
43 year o ld A fric a n A m erican man,
who was fram ed du rin g the height o f
the “ B lack P ow er M o ve m e n t” in the
late 6 0 ’ s. T w e n ty-o n e years later G er
years o verdue.”
W e have ju s t relum ed from a trip
to O akland, C a lifo rn ia as participants
in a “ fa c t-fin d in g m issio n ” concern
ing the case o f G e ro n im o Pratt. This
mission was sponsored by the Oakland
C om m unity U n ite d Church o f C hrist, a
F B I s infamous C O IN T E L P R O counter
intelligence program . P ratt and m any
w ho successfully demanded the fre e
dom o f N elson M andela fro m the prison
same type o f massive demand needs to
be made on b e h a lf o f Pratt. P ratt is a
v ic tim o f A m erican racism and repres
sion and his continued im p riso n m e n t is
an atrocious in s u lt to human d ig n ity .
I f you w o u ld lik e m ore in fo rm a
congregation. Reverend Dr. Lorenzo
tion on this case and w ish to jo in this
C arlisle, pastor o f the church stated,
g ro w in g cam paign, please contact sis
“ We begin our outreac h to the Oakland
com m unity in the quest fo r ju stice fo r
all o f G o d ’ s people. There is not a case
ter M uhjah S hakir, co -co o rd in a to r o f
the International Cam paign to Free
G eronim o Ji Jaga Pratt, P.O. B ox 3585,
more w o rth y o f our active support at
Oakland, C a lifo rn ia 94609, (415) 268-
<
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Remember that C O IN T E LP R O was
a federal program as w e ll as a state
e ffo rt to fa lse ly in c rim in a te and im
prison A fric a n A m e rica n and other ac
system o f apartheid South A fric a , this
newly established A fric a n A m erican
EB
a
stressed, to the C a lifo m ia l D epartm ent
o f Corrections the “ extraordinary” situ
ation o f in ju stice in regard to P ra tt’ s
can A m erican co m m u n ity d u rin g the
1960’ s as a mem ber o f the B la ck Pan
ther Party, he became a target o f the
tivists. W e a ll share in the re s p o n s ib il
ity to help rig h t these grievous w rongs
paid by o u r tax dollars.
Hum an freedom cannot be m iti
gated by the grand desires o f the forces
o f racial oppression. H um an lib e rty
cannot p o litic a lly be parceled out o n ly
to those w h o subm it to tyranny. A n d we
w ill not be at rest u n til G e ro n im o P ratt
is FREE.
Portland Observer encourages our readers to write
letters to the editor in response to any articles
we publish.
I
qualified purchasers w ithout
regard to race, color, religion,
sex, national origin, familial status
or handicap. So to see a HUD
home available in your area, call
your real estate agent now!
For your information:
Details, conditions, program changes and
Express Bid information on the HUD
programs are included in the classified
section of your Sunday Oregonian.
t=l
EQUAL HOUSING
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING
AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
O P P O R T U N IT Y
i
Clinic Offers Free
Health Check-
Ups For Kids
W estern States C h iro p ra ctic C o l
lege is sponsoring a free health check
up fo r ch ild re n from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m .,
Saturday, A u g u st 24,1991 a tits O utpa
tient C lin ic , 2900 N E 132nd A venue in
SAVE ON
V ision C enter
—
—
\
Offers Low-Cost Care/Free Screenings
Portland. T he screening w ill include a
spinal exam ¡nation and scoliosis evalu
ation fo r ch ild re n up to the age o f 16.
Q uality
The com prehensive exam also
includes screening o f the eyes, ears and
throat by interns at the c lin ic . P a rtic i
vision care based on ability to pay is avail
able at the Pacific University Cascade Campus Family
pants w ill receive a w ritte n report and
referrals to o ther health care specialists
i f necessary. Appointm ents are required
Vision Center, located at 600 N. Killingsworth, across
and may be made by c a llin g 255-6771.
Community College Cascade
Campus.
the street from the Portland
Youth Gang Task Force
S ervices
W ednesday, A ug u st 7, 1991
K in g F a c ility
10:00 A .M .
vision exams, specialty care,
Agenda
1. In tro d u ctio n s
2. Y o u th Gang Program Update
patient dispensary, and free
vision screenings forall ages.
3. P olice Reports
Patients pay for services ac
4. Y o u th Resources Update
Fire F ig h te r Program
5. O ther
6. A d jo u rn m e n t
Northeast C o a litio n o f Neighborhoods
N orth/N ortheast Y outh Gangs Task
Force
cording to individual or fam
3 Flavors Kids will Love
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ily income. The Center does
include a minimum pay level
1991 The Quaker Oats Company
and most patients receive
MANUFACTURER COUPON
some fee adjustment due to
Public Relations
Director Joins
OHS Staff
50
T he C ascade Campus Fam
ily Vision Center is open
OFF
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information, scheduling, and free vision screenings,
MANUFACTURER COUPON
A n Oregon native, M s. Layton was
educated at local schools and at Chatham
C ollege in Pennsylvania where she
graduated w ith a B .A . in E nglish. She
has served on the Board o f Directors o f
1991
3 U U U U "¿ ¿ U 5 U
75
Pacific University
Cascade Campus Family Vision Center
RETAILER JuoAer w ,ll'to t'o OAK m
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3U U U U
P ortland’ s C ity C lu b .
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<£ OFF
please call 240-5319.
o f stores hcadquarted in Eugene.
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ONE 111
• * ou> rMemotwi o o k, Coo», mwau ,
k w i» » » s l C osh,«» OOIC vou]»Rans
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EXPIRES OCTONER 31 m i 812
ANY
will expand to a fourth day of service this fall. For more
sional experience as p u b lic relations
d ire cto r fo r L lo y d C orporation o f P ort
land as w e ll as fo r the E m porium chain
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Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday during regular business hours. The Center
Society co m m u n ica tio n activitie s. Ms.
Layton brings to the S ociety profes
EXPIRES OCTOBER 3 1. 1991
ft*
limited income.
A rle n e L . L a yto n has been ap
pointed as D ire c to r o f Public Relations
fo r the Oregon H isto rica l Society w ith
the re s p o n sib ility fo r coordinationg all
the Oregon D o w n to w n D evelopm ent
A ssociation and o f the P itto ck M ansion
S ociety. She is a m em ber o f the P ublic
R elations S ociety o f A m erica and o f
include complete
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