Join us at the RAE Building to mark the 39th year anniversary of Herman and Albert's unjust isolation in solitary confinement. 39 people will spend one hour each in a 6x9 ft replica cell. Our program of events over the weekend will also include:

-  Screenings of documentaries In the Land of the Free and The Farm, followed by panels of former Black Panthers, artists and legal experts.

-  A display of arts & crafts from Angola inmates, and The House That Herman Built by Jackie Sumell and Herman Wallace

- Undoing Racism workshop, round-table discussions, educational workshops with local high school students and a teach-in.

- Theatrical excerpts from Angola 3, The Play written by Parnell Herbert, and Voices performances by Louisiana exonerees.

- Press conference and vigil at dusk.

- A book-signing by Robert King.

- Musical entertainment by local performers.

For more info, download the flyer here, and visit: www.angola3action.org

Robert King Interviewed on Portuguese TV: "Entrevista a Black Panthers"

Jordan Flaherty, author of the book, Floodlines, previously interviewed by Angola 3 News, has continued to use his journalistic work to shine a light on those stories of injustice in LA that the corporate media usually ignores or misrepresents.  

In his most recent article, entitled Race and Politics in a Rural Louisiana Town Attract National Attention, Flaherty writes about Waterproof, LA mayor Bobby Higginbotham, "who has been held without bail since May of 2010. Advocates say the town's mayor and police chief, both African American, were targeted by an entrenched white power structure, including a Parish Sheriff and District Attorney, who were threatened by newly empowered Black political power in the town and are seeking to use the court system to undo an election."

Flaherty's March 17 article, entitled US Justice Department Report Finds Pattern of Discrimination by New Orleans Police Department, focuses largely on Louisiana's outrageous "Crime Against Nature" law used to criminalize gay, lesbian, and transgendered residents of New Orleans. Citing this law and other evidence of police discrimination, the Justice Department concluded that there is "reasonable cause to believe that NOPD practices lead to discriminatory treatment of LGBT individuals."

US activists have a lot to learn from Latin America. In our interview Dangl argues that "because South American social movements have been so successful in the past decade, it is important to learn and understand what's been successful and to apply those strategies and tactics here, where we are facing very similar challenges." Since the political climate in the US today is different from Latin America in many ways, Dangl argues that "these strategies and tactics shouldn't just be taken and applied directly to our communities, but should instead be considered and made useful in our own context and realities."  

Watch the full interview here.

War, Prisons, and Torture in the US & UK 
--An interview with Richard Haley

Last December, on Human Rights Day, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities (SACC) initiated a "Stop Isolation" campaign with an online statement arguing that solitary confinement is a form of torture that must be abolished. The petition states that "We call upon the countries of the world to enact legislation that prohibits long-term prisoner isolation, and prohibits the transfer of prisoners to countries where they would be at risk of such treatment. Dungeons should not be tolerated in the 21st century."

Richard Haley, the current Chair of SACC, explained the context of the petition in his interview with Angola 3 News: "We launched 'Stop Isolation' because the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is considering the appeals of four British citizens--Babar Ahmad, Syed Tahla Ahsan, Haroon Rashid Aswat, and Abu Hamza--against extradition to the US to face terrorism charges. The court is considering whether the length of the sentences the men may face and the risk of long-term isolation at ADX Florence (for three of the men) would breach their right under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights not to 'be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.' The court's long-delayed judgment is expected in the next few months. It will be a landmark in the development of human rights law."

Read the full interview here. 

Dylcia and Cisco on Panthers and Independistas

Angola 3 News recently collaborated with our good friend, Kiilu Nyasha, who is the host of the Freedom is a Constant Struggle television show. We filmed the show, while Kiilu interviewed Dylcia Pagan and Cisco Torres (shown in the above photo with Kiilu).  You can watch the show here.

Dylcia Pagan is a Puerto Rican freedom fighter and Independista, who spent nearly 20 years in Federal prisons on charges of seditious conspiracy for her role in the underground wing of the Puerto Rican independence movement.One of 11 Puerto Rican political prisoners granted clemency in 1999 by President Clinton, she was paroled to Puerto Rico, where she has continued to struggle against U.S. colonialism nonviolently.

Francisco Torres (Cisco), 58, of New York City, was born in Puerto Rico and raised in New York City. He is a Vietnam Veteran who fought for the grievances of Black and Latino soldiers upon his return to the states. A former Black Panther, he has been a community activist since his discharge from the military in 1969. Cisco continues to work with troubled youth in his Queens community.

Cisco is the last of the San Francisco Eight to still be facing charges. As Cisco discusses in this interview, he had an evidentiary hearing scheduled for March 2, 2011. However, three days after the interview, on February 28, this hearing was canceled. For the latest developments in the case and what you can do to help, please go to www.freethesf8.org.