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<font size=3><a href="http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/articles/50925/" eudora="autourl">http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/articles/50925/<br>
</a><b>Remembering A Revolutionary : Martha Pitts</b> <br>
By Assata Shakur<br>
<br>
This is not an easy statement for me to write. Somehow, I thought that
Martha would always be here. In my mind she was like Mt. Kilimanjaro,
always strong, always solid, always standing tall. I met Martha about 30
years ago. She was a proud intelligent, irreverent black woman. She had a
sharp mind and an even sharper tongue. She wore her hair in a buck wild
Afro, and she wore her clothes like she did not give a damn. She was
never into trends and fashions; she wore torn jeans and sneakers with
holes way before it became fashionable. She didn't give a damn about
appearances. She cared about the essence of people and the essence of
life. Martha loved people. She had a deep special love for African
people. She was always analytical, always critical, but she supported our
struggle for freedom with all her heart and soul. <br><br>
Martha Pitts was a revolutionary, and she loved revolutionaries. She was
a revolutionary who trusted her instincts, trusted her own eyes and
listened to her heart. She hated hypocrisy, and she hated empty rhetoric.
She despised injustice, she despised oppression, and whenever she was
confronted with them, she felt righteous indignation. <br><br>
Martha was a woman of action. She had little patience with idle chatter.
She put everything on the line to live up to her convictions. Shortly
after I met Martha, I was forced to go underground. Even though she
didn't know me that well, she didn't hesitate when I asked for her help.
She gave me the keys to her apartment and vowed to hide and protect me.
Those were repressive and hellish times, when many revolutionaries were
faced with the terror of COINTELPRO. She was tightlipped, she was serious
as cancer, and she was not afraid to take a stand. It is an
understatement to say that I loved her with all my heart. <br><br>
During my years as a political prisoner, Martha Pitts did everything she
could to fight for my freedom and the freedom of other political
prisoners. She loved her some Sundiata Acoli, and she fought like hell
for his freedom too. Year after year, she endured humiliating searches,
police surveillance and police harassment to make sure that we had a
visitor, to make sure that someone cared, to make sure that in the oven
of that burning hell, there was a beautiful black angel of mercy.
<br><br>
During all my trials and tribulations, Martha was there. When we needed
someone to do research, Martha did research. When we needed someone to
coordinate visits, Martha coordinated visits. When we needed someone to
analyze medical data, Martha analyzed medical data. Martha worked full
time as a nurse and she worked full time as a political activist. She was
totally committed to the struggle for social justice and totally
committed to the revolutionaries who were committed to the struggle for
freedom. <br><br>
Martha Pitts was always about keep it real. As we waited for the verdict
in New Jersey, a verdict from an all white jury, after a legal lynching
trial, Martha stroked my hair and told me, "Assata, you know those
white folks gonna convict you, you never had a chance." I didn't
cry, I couldn't express what I was feeling right then, but Martha held my
hand and looked deep into my eyes. "You gonna be freed one day,
Assata. You gonna be free." It was a miserable time in my life. It
was a miserable time in her life, but she made me believe it. What were
my choices? Freedom or death. What were her choices? Freedom or death.
What were our choices? Freedom or death. <br><br>
Martha Pitts was a great human being. She received no Nobel Prize for
Peace, she received no freedom awards. But I can testify about how much
blood, sweat and tears she shed in our struggle for liberation. I know
how deeply Martha Pitts was loved. I know how lovingly she will be
remembered. <br><br>
Please, carry on her work! Please, carry on her legacy! Please, carry on
her love! <br><br>
Liberate this planet from injustice! Liberate this planet from
oppression! Liberate this planet from exploitations! Liberate this planet
from pain! <br><br>
FREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS! <br>
FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL! <br>
FREE ALL OPPRESSED PEOPLE! <br>
WE WILL BE FREE! WE WILL BE FREE ! <br>
IN THE SPIRIT OF MARTHA PITTS LET US CARRY THIS STRUGGLE ON!<br>
__________________<br>
Free all Political Prisoners, <br>
I send you Love and Revolutionary Greetings <br>
From Cuba, One of the Largest, Most Resistant and <br>
Most Courageous Palenques (Maroon Camps) <br>
That has ever existed on the Face of this Planet. <br><br>
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<font size=3 color="#FF0000">The Freedom Archives<br>
522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
</font><font size=3><a href="http://www.freedomarchives.org/" eudora="autourl">www.freedomarchives.org</a></font></body>
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