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<b>TWO FREEDOM FIGHTERS MARK OVER 40 MARCH BIRTHDAYS IN PRISON!<br>
by Kiilu Nyasha<br>
(March 3, 2007)<br><br>
</b>Hugo L. A. Pinell, affectionately known as Yogi Bear, was one of six
brothers who became known as the San Quentin Six in the 1970s following
the assassination of George Lester Jackson on August 21, 1971. Yogi
will be 62 years old on <b>March 10</b>. Forty-three of those years
have been spent in California gulags.<br><br>
Ruchell Cinque Magee, sole survivor of the Marin Courthouse Rebellion of
August 7, 1970, will mark his 68th birthday on <b>March 17</b>. He
has now been incarcerated for 44 years.<br><br>
<b>Trophies for Black August:<br><br>
</b>On August 7, 1970, after seven years, two trials and countless
petitions filed against his illegal incarceration, Magee joined the
guerrillas in California’s Marin County Courthouse, when Jonathan Jackson
stormed the court armed to the teeth and tossed guns to William
Christmas, James McClain (on trial for assaulting a guard), and Magee
(testifying for McClain). Militants of the Black Movement behind
bars, the brothers took the judge, prosecutor and three jurors hostage
thinking they would be insurance in their plan to drive to a radio
station to announce the murderous/racist prison conditions and demand the
release of The Soledad Brothers (John Clutchette, Fleeta Drumgo, and
George Jackson, Jonathan’s older brother) -- facing trial and a
possible death sentence. The four revolutionaries never got out of
the parking lot. The San Quentin guards got there in time to shoot
up the van killing all three guerillas and the judge, seriously wounding
the prosecutor and Magee, <br>
and slightly injuring one of the jurors. Angela Davis was hunted
down and captured for having legally purchased the guns (Jonathan Jackson
had been her body guard in her defense activities for the Soledad
Brothers in a dangerous climate.). Although Ruchell was unconscious
at the scene having been shot, the State tried to pin the murders on him,
but had to drop those charges. Nevertheless, he was convicted of
simple kidnap and remains in prison to date. <br><br>
Magee’s own jail house lawyering got him released from the Pelican Bay
SHU back in the early 1990s and he is currently on the Corcoran Prison
mainline. As brother Willie Sundiata Tate has often stated,
“Ruchell never hurt anyone.” Nevertheless, he was denied parole
again last year, and is now enduring his 44th year of
incarceration.<br><br>
August 21, 1971, was the day Soledad Brother, George Lester Jackson, was
murdered on the yard of San Quentin State Prison, in addition to three
prison guards and two inmate trustees. Six prisoners were singled
out and charged with various counts of murder and assault: <br>
Fleeta Drumgo, Willie Sundiata Tate, David Johnson, Luis Talamantez,
Johnny Spain, and Yogi. Spain was the only one convicted of murder,
and has been out of prison since 1988. Yogi was convicted of
assault and has spent the last 35 years in solitary confinement (no
contact, no phone calls). He has been in Pelican Bay’s torture
chamber since 1990. <br><br>
Pelican Bay’s supermax control unit is located in the Northwest corner of
California on the Oregon border in pristine, redwood territory. The
prison is solid gray concrete and the SHU (Security Housing Unit) is
completely windowless. It looks like a large tomb. It’s
hi-tech with automatic doors and gates, only artificial light, and the
so-called yard is nothing more than a “dog run” or outdoor closet with
20’ high walls covered on top by Plexiglas. SHU prisoners are
locked down 24/7 except for a possible hour on the dog run where they can
exercise alone with no equipment whatsoever, not even a ball. They
are permitted no arts or crafts materials, and only a very restricted
number of books and property. They’re chained hand and foot
whenever they leave their cells escorted by two guards. Visits are
no contact and limited to weekends and holidays for less than two
hours. <br><br>
One way we can let these righteous soldiers know they are loved and
appreciated, while sending a strong message to their jailers, would be to
flood their cells with cards and letters (a money order may be
included).<br><br>
So please send these brothers a birthday greeting and give them a lift
and some love.<br><br>
They can be reached as
follows:
<br><br>
Hugo L.A.Pinell, A88401, D3-221, <br>
Box 7500, Crescent City, Ca. 95531-7500. <br><br>
Ruchell Cinque Magee, A92051, <br>
3A2-131 <br>
Box 3471 CSP<br>
Corcoran, Ca 93212<br>
<br>
For more information, you can go to
<a href="http://www.hugopinell.com">www.hugopinell.com</a> or google
Black August + Kiilu Nyasha.<br>
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522 Valencia Street<br>
San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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