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Herman Bell interview (1 of 3)
First of 3 interviews with Herman Bell in Clinton Correctional Facility. Interviewed by two NYC high school teachers, both presumably white and middle class. Discusses building a national campaign around political prisoners, defines/distinguished between political and social prisoners and who to prioritize in an amnesty movement, talks about the role of the church specifically in the black community, reparations and what the government owes to all black people, voting and representation, racism and incarceration rates, the growth of prisons and industry of incarceration, the Black Panther Party and their opposition to drugs and their success with the Free Breakfast Program, lack of economic control in the black community, need for land and self-determination, a large piece on Nuh Washington and how they met and Nuh’s personality, on missing his family and especially being absent while his children grow up, the wretched conditions of prison health care. Great stuff just avoid using questions/sound from interviewers.
Herman Bell interview (2 of 3)
Interview tape 2 of 3 of Herman Bell. Continues talking about Nuh and ho w he received his name and went from Albert to Nuh Washington. Asked about changing his name - both Jalil and Nuh changed their names and became Muslim, Herman did neither. Talks about the importance of freeing political prisoners - they are/were the leaders of the streets. Frustrated at how many young people (particularly men) in poor communities of color are turning against each other, assaulted by an intentional infestation of drugs, and have no guidance/traditions which could be passed on if the political prisoners were freed. Asked about his mentors - growing up he talks a lot about Malcolm X, mentions Patrice Lumumba and the case of the Congo. As early as 14, Bell was politicized by Malcolm. Discusses his resentment towards Ebony magazine for being so conservative and portraying a black petty bourgeoisie lifestyle. Discusses his home life and that his parents bought into the apple pie American dream myth, didn’t approve of Herman or his sister in the Black Panther Party. Discusses militarization of police throughout history, profiling, brutality, and surveillance. Reagan starting SWAT teams in California. Says that things are much worse for young black males today, demonized by the mainstream, the disparity of drug laws and heightened policing. Briefly discusses first trip to Watts after the rebellion - looked like a “war zone”. Watts and Huey talking about arming himself - two politicizing moments in his life.
Herman Bell interview (3 of 3)
Last of 3 interviews with Herman Bell. Briefly discusses more of his youth, involvement in the Air Explorer club and having a politicized mentor. Talks about having to go underground, captured in 73, and imprisoned ever since. Since 1979, been in New York, got his degree in sociology and plays the flute, has been learning music theory for 5 years. Reads a lot, especially enjoys science fiction and Nietzshe. Despite the burnout, working as a mentor/teacher on the inside has had a lot of positive rewards. Very difficult to communicate and pass on info given that people have to let go of their absence of vision/future. Goes into discussing Victory Gardens Project for a long time. Idea of self-sufficiency, working in communities, correspondence with political prisoners, freeing ourselves from dependence on corporate structures. Discusses 3 types of political prisoners and prioritizes freeing those working on the streets and imprisoned for their political work first. Footage outside Clinton Correctional Facility.
Herman Bell interview (all 3 tapes)
Compilation of Videos 74-76 (see those descriptions)
Jalil Muntaqim interview (1 of 4)
Call Number: V 078Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Begins with talk about how he met Nuh Washington and Sacco Ortiz, who were Denver Panthers needing a place to crash. They lived at his place for a few months in the Bay Area, politicizing each other and living communally. Tells story of how Nuh got his name. Describes in detail about his transition into Islam. Quite reluctant at first, argued a lot with Max Sanford aka Hamid Hamid and H. Rap Brown aka Jamil AABD Al-Amin, with whom he was imprisoned in Old Queens, NY in 1972. He had great respect for these guys and watched them pray 5 times a day. He called himself a materialist up until this point, but could never resolve question of spirit and what happens to spirit once the body passes. Being a Muslim doesn’t take away from his being a revolutionary, only provides more and brings hope, a tempered spirit, and a spiritual/material equilibrium. Discusses the meaning of Jihad - to struggle, to strive in his political life. Talks about rebelling against parents, schools and cops. Always a good student, mom instilled a sense of dignity and African identity in him. Politicized by the murder of Martin Luther King, seeing Black Panther Party on TV going to the CA capitol with weapons, friends John Carlos and Tommie Smith at the 1968 Olympics with black power fists raised in the air. Was always associated with Black Panther Party, but only briefly joined and then was recruited into the Black Liberation Army whose existence began years before they were publicly known as an underground organization during Jalil and Dharuba bin Wahad’s case in 1971. Discusses his case - initially as the NY 5 with the Ortiz brothers (Gabriel and Francisco), later their case was dismissed for lack of evidence, thus they became the NY 3. Discusses how evidence was tampered with and the entire conviction was a setup given the threat that the government and FBI believed that the Black Liberation Army/Black Panther Party posed to the national security. Has much information and FBI documents proving innocence through the Freedom of Information Act. Discusses the torturing of witnesses, granting immunity to one witness who had several outstanding arrests.
Jalil Muntaqim interview (2 of 4)
Call Number: V 079Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Continues about the tampering and destruction of evidence in his case. Once you’re convicted the burden is to prove yourself innocent. Discusses cases of Dhoruba and Geronimo, who spent almost 50 years together in prison after proving that the state had set them up. Calls the US a plutocracy, where the rich rule and control the government, operating under a hypocritical veneer of democracy. Hegemonic powers of the media, describes it as the wizard in the background. We need to break the illusion that the system works for the benefit of the people. All he sees in prison are black and brown faces because of the unequal distribution of wealth and poverty being an impetus towards “crime”, and institutional racism has created a mechanism for people of color to go to prison. Talks about bodies becoming commodities, his prison number is like his bar code, economics analysis of PIC. Discusses tax breaks for rural counties who can include prisoners in their population even though majority of prisoners come from NYC. Control units/SHU - for rebellious prisoners and mentally ill inmates who can’t be controlled among rest of general population. Discusses his own most recent experience in the “box”, where the state fabricated evidence that he was organizing a statewide prison strike. Talks about SHU, feed you through a slot in cell, 1 hour of recreation time, everything even food is a privilege, no phone use, visitation once a week but through glass. Talks about the extended effects of isolation and sensory deprivation, claustrophobia, loneliness, anxiety and panic disorders. There is no rehab/education/employment/therapeutic/skill s offered to prisoners, thus they leave embittered and destructive. Talks about manifest destiny and how it was turned into a country. Ideas are power if you know how to take control. Starts to talk about returning to San Quentin adjustment center post-sentencing, housed with San Quentin six. Talking about freeing political prisoners with Ruchell Magee, who just received a letter from Yuri Kochiyama about starting a movement around amnesty.
Jalil Muntaqim interview (3 of 4)
Middle of his story from end of tape 2 about creating a national movement around freeing political prisoners. Met a white guy named Commie Mike who told him about the UPU, United Prisoners Union, formerly run by Popeye Jackson, who was just killed at the time. Contacts Sundiata Acoli about representing the E. Coast. Tremendous response from prisoners throughout the country (political and non) about UN appeal for clemency for political prisoners//prisoners of war. UPU was overwhelmed and so Prairie Fire Organizing Committee produced a pamphlet and brought attorney Katherine Burke from Amnesty International onto the case. Jalil taught her about domestic revolutionary struggle and she taught him about international law. Two different dynamics on the W. and E. Coast. W. Coast was progressive/revolutionary white folks and E. Coast was black folks in the Black Panther Party/RNA/APP and other revolutionary nationalists. Katherine went to Geneva and there was a huge international response given that the US always uses human rights against each other, but never discusses their own domestic HR abuses. So that racial tension caused a lot of sectarianism/factionalism thus an overall lull in the movement. Jalil has always written about political prisoners. Talks about Andrew Young, a US ambassador to the UN who was fired for acknowledging that the US has political prisoners - probably thousands - during a visit to Paris, France. Jalil has tried to get a prisoner exchange between US and Cuba - trade political prisoners for some Cuban held US CIA operatives. Discusses how although COINTELPRO was found illegal, there was no remedy/redress for victims. Believes that Jericho needs to push COINTELPRO.
Jalil Muntaqim interviews (4 of 4)
Call Number: V 081Format: VHSProducers: John O’ReillyCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Last of the 4 interviews. Only about 10 minutes. Asked about what he does to keep his soul intact in prison. Describes music, exercise, prayer, keyboard, congo drums, martial arts (in the past) - all help to make him feel human. Interviewers drive around prison, brief footage of perimeter of Auburn Correctional Facility.
Jalil Muntaqim and Herman Bell interview
Edited by Adisa, back and forth clips from videos 74-81 of Herman and Jalil talking specifically about Nuh Washington, memories they’ve had together, in the party, in political work, on his overall personality, on how he received his name and on his death.
Herman Bell & Jalil Muntaqim Interview
Date: 3/1/1988Call Number: V 043Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Herman Bell & Jalil Muntaqim Interviewed in 1988 for the making of a video on the ‘New York 3’ and their legal case. The New York 3 includes Jalil Muntaqim, Herman Bell and Nuh Washington.
EPS VHS of the raw interview in prison.
