Exclusive: Mumia Abu-Jamal Releases New Prison Radio Commentary on Walter Scott Shooting
Speech · Black Liberation · 01:59
Amy Goodman, Mumia Abu-Jamal
Summary
In this Democracy Now! exclusive, imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal delivers a commentary from his prison infirmary at SCI Mahanoy, reacting to the police killing of Walter Scott in South Carolina. Introduced by host Amy Goodman, Abu-Jamal critiques the media’s labeling of black youth as 'thugs' while affording respect to officer Michael Slager, who shot Scott following a traffic stop and lied about it. Invoking Huey P. Newton’s term 'pig,' Abu-Jamal’s piece from Prison Radio highlights systemic racism and police violence. The episode also covers Abu-Jamal’s health crisis, his supporters’ national day of action demanding specialist medical care, and his ongoing claim of innocence in the murder of officer Daniel Faulkner, which Amnesty International has deemed an unfair trial.
Transcript (diarized)
Amy Goodman: And imprisoned journalist and former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal has spoken out from a prison infirmary about the police killing of Walter Scott in South Carolina. Abu-Jamal, who is seriously ill at SCI Mahani, rose from his infirmary bed to record the commentary after a fellow prisoner wheeled in a TV so he could watch coverage of the shooting. In a Democracy Now! exclusive, Mumia Abu-Jamal discussed his reaction.
Mumia Abu-Jamal: Remember the young man who allegedly shot, not killed, two cops in Ferguson several weeks ago? Every politician in America leaped at the chance to call the kid a punk, a thug. Now, what do you call Slaker? What have you heard? Even though he's been fired, he's called officer today, or Mr. Slaker. He killed the man for a traffic citation and lied about it. Is he a punk? A predator? Or what Huey P. Newton used to call a pig? From Imprisoned Nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
Amy Goodman: AMY GOODMAN. And special thanks to Noel Hanrahan of the Prison Radio Project for the recording of that commentary. Mumia Abu-Jamal supporters say he remained severely ill after he was hospitalized for diabetic shock. Today, his supporters have called a national day of action with protests in 10 cities to demand he be allowed to see a diabetes specialist. Mumia Abu-Jamal is in prison for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner, but has always maintained his innocence. Amnesty International has found he was deprived of a fair trial.