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9 Documents Found
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.
The New York 3
Date: 1/1/1989Call Number: V 102Format: VHSCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
Explains the case of the New York 3, jalil Muntaqim, Nuh Washington and Herman Bell in the context of the history of the Black Panther Party, the Black Liberation Army, FBIs Cointelpro program designed to destroy the Black liberation movement. Aside from the prisoners’ voices are interviews with Safiya Bukhari, of the Jericho Amnesty Movement and a former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member (as well as a former political prisoner and prisoner of war) and attorney Brian Glick, talking about Cointelpro and the FBI.
Victory Gardens Project
Date: 1/1/2000Call Number: V 213Format: VHSProducers: Victory Gardens ProjectCollection: Videos in many formats – both camera originals as well as reference materials
The Victory Gardens project is an urban community gardening and food production project which grows and distributes food to raise awareness about economic justice, ecological sustainability, and social change. The Athens. Maine project was organized by Herman Bell, a US political prisoner and two Maine farmers, Carol Dove and Michael Vernon, with the purpose of simultaneously providing healthy food and political education. Video of Herman Bell, Nuh Washington and Jalil Muntaqim is integrated into material about the project.
Medical Neglect, Control Units, Women in Prison
Date: 10/21/1996Call Number: PM 309Format: Cass A & BProducers: Prison Activist Resource Center PARCProgram: Prison Activist RadioCollection: Prisons - Women
News about the prison industrial complex and prisoners. Judy Greenspan, director of HIV/AIDS in Prison Project, about compassionate release and women with AIDS. Also Catherine Campbell, an attorney with California Prison Focus, discusses the culture of violence at prisons, verbal provocations by the guards, mandates to confine members of rival gangs in same yard. Jean Stewart from the Disabled Prisoners' Justice Fund discusses the Armstrong case and the growing, neglected population of disabled prisoners and its causes. Karen Shain from Legal Services for Prisoners with Children speaks about women in prison and the class action law suits that are filed for work release, prenatal care, mother and infant programs, HIV. Herman Bell of the New York Three and former member of the Black Panther Party, discusses the need for support of political prisoners.
Graphics - backup files for several projects
Chile: Promise of Freedom design files
Chile release event at La Pena
David Gilbert video design files
New York 3 - BLA graphics
Oscar Lopez artwork
Misc Freedom Archives graphics
9 Documents Found
