[Ppnews] NAACP & Mumia

[PPnews at freedomarchives.org]

FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION
                                           Box 16, College Station, New 
York, NY 10030

January 18, 2005                                  * FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : 
Contact:  Sundiata Sadiq,  914-941-6046
*
On January 5, 2005, Hazel Dukes, President of the New York State NAACP, 
called the Ossining Chapter's newly elected president, Carlos Coca,  and 
informed him that the democratically conducted election of officers by the 
chapter was "null and void", and that the chapter had no right to speak or 
write as an official NAACP chapter.   Dukes further stated that Carlos 
Coca, Sundiata Sadiq, and all the other newly elected officers had been 
suspended and the chapter put into receivership until Dukes herself comes 
to Ossining to hold new elections.

Both Charles Coca and Sundiata Sadiq, respectively, President and Vice 
President of the chapter, say that they see this latest move on the part of 
Dukes, as yet another attempt on her part to prevent local chapters from 
engaging in real involvement with community issues.  Just this past July, 
the Ossining chapter of the NAACP, along with the International Concerned 
Family and Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal and the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal 
Coalition of New York City, joined forces to craft a resolution supporting 
a new trial for internationally renowned political prisoner, Mumia 
Abu-Jamal,  now languishing on Pennsylvania's Death Row for more than 22 
years.  After a militant demonstration by activists greeting the 
registering delegates, and after numerous national officials were 
approached by Pam Africa of International Concerned Family and Friends of 
Mumia Abu-Jamal and Sundiata Sadiq, the resolution which was drafted with 
the help of NAACP lobbyist
Hillary Shelton, was passed by the national organization  The resolution
called on all NAACP chapters to join the international struggle to free Mumia.

Ossining is the home of Sing Sing Prison and the Ossining Chapter has been 
organizing rallies for years against the death penalty and for the freedom 
of Mumia as well as other political prisoners.  This is the very work the 
resolution passed by National NAACP this past July endorses and 
promulgates.  .And yet Hazel Dukes' action undermines the spirit of that 
resolution by suspending the very people who are doing that work.

Mr. Coca and Mr. Sadiq believe the suspension of the chapter by Hazel Dukes 
is a vindictive action meant to stop the activism of the chapter in the 
struggle for the freedom of our political prisoners.  Not only does the 
Ossining membership think this is an outrage against democracy but, 
additionally, a retreat from implementing the national resolution passed 
last July.

The Ossining Chapter of the NAACP calls on all progressive people to 
contact NAACP National Board Chair, Julian Bond, and demand that he 
immediately reinstate the Ossining branch.  The branch needs to get on with 
the work of the national mandate to gain a new trial for Mumia Abu-Jamal 
and to continue to give voice to strong and unequivocal opposition to the 
death penalty.
Supporters are encouraged to call or write Julian Bond to let him know of 
the outrage in the community about the Dukes undemocratic and reactionary 
move against the Ossining chapter.  The NAACP  national offices are at 4805 
Mt. Hope Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215.  The phone numbers are:  877-NAACP98, 
Hotline- (410) 521-4939.





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