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FREE MUMIA ABU-JAMAL COALITION<br>
Box 16, College Station, New York, NY 10030<br><br>
January 18,
2005
* FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Contact: Sundiata Sadiq,
914-941-6046<br>
*<br>
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.<br><br>
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 <br>
Hillary Shelton, was passed by the national organization The
resolution <br>
called on all NAACP chapters to join the international struggle to free
Mumia.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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.<br><br>
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. <br>
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.<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>
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