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Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms

Historical Note: This collection contains grassroots radio programming produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms. This programming primarily occurred during the 1980s and 1990s.

Contents: Reel to Reel and cassette tapes.

Major Topics of Focus:

Political Prisoners- Focused on Puerto Rican political prisoners, women political prisoners and the Resistance Conspiracy Case. 

HIV/AIDS- Focused on prisoners with AIDS, AIDS and its impact on women and communities of color, AIDS awareness events.

Latin America- Focused on the Sandinista revolution and government in Nicaragua, civil war, peace negotiations and subsequent elections in El Salvador, the drug war in Colombia and Bolivia, political events in Mexico, and the Cuban embargo. 

LGBTQ- Focused on identity, experiences of LGBTQ folks, civil rights, education, awareness events.  

Health care- Focused on abortion, HIV/AIDS, women’s health in communities of color in the US, healthcare inside US prisons, women’s health in Latin America.

Important Names:

Laura Whitehorn, Marilyn Buck, Linda Evans, Alan Berkman, Sylvia Baraldini, Susan Rosenberg,  Geronimo Ji Jaga, Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu Jamal, George Jackson, Dhoruba Bin-Wahad, Sundiata Acoli, Oscar Rivera Lopez, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Reverend Father Ernesto Cardenal Martínez, Assata Shakur, Alejandrina Torres, Alfredo Cristiani, Archbishop Oscar Romero      


Documents

Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews Female Political Prisoners - series of interviews
Call Number: JG/ 070Format: CassetteProducers: Judy Gerber, Lisa RudmanProgram: KPFACollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
This is a collection of different interviews and recordings of female political prisoners from around the world. Lisa Rudman collages them together to show the injustice towards political prisoners and to highlight some of the many tactics used by the US government and prison system to get information out of political prisoners. Rudman defines political prisoners and interviews Laura Whitehorn and Linda Evans and speaks about their cases and the circumstances leading to their imprisonment. The other political prisoners interviewed on the tape are: Dora Garcia, active in the national liberation struggles in the US colony of Puerto Rico; Mercedes Algado, a refugee active in the FSLM and FDR in El Salvador; Elizabeth Sebego, active in the Pan African Congress; Assata Shakur, active with the Black Panthers and now a refugee in Cuba; a Filipina imprisoned for her work with the church.
Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez Florence Prison and the Fight to Free Oscar Lopez
Date: 1/20/1995Call Number: JG/ 075AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Lugo Lopez and Alejandro Molina of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War (Chicago) protesting the imprisonment of Oscar Lopez, sentenced to 75+ years on seditious conspiracy charges for his political work in Puerto Rico.
Wishlist of Political Prisoner Pardons, 1994 Wishlist of Political Prisoner Pardons, 1994
Call Number: JG/ 086BFormat: Cass BProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Wish list of New Year's resolutions for Bill Clinton focusing on political prisoners and prisoners of war, 1994. Eulogy for AIDs activist Michael Callen. Requests for the retrial and/or pardoning of political prisoners Leonard Peltier, Geronimo Pratt, Mumia Abu Jamal, and Silvia Baraldini and for the pardoning of Puerto Rican prisoners of war, with background information on each of their situations.
International Human Rights Day, 1994 International Human Rights Day, 1994
Date: 12/2/1994Call Number: JG/ 088AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Interview with Judy Siff and Bill Crossman of Prairie Fire Organizing Committee about International Human Rights Day, 1994. International Human Rights Day, December 10, is a global holiday not well known in the U.S. that champions human rights for political prisoners. The U.S. focus of this year's campaign are the 150+ political prisoners held currently by the U.S. justice system, many of whom were social activists of the 1960's, 70's, 80's. Siff and Crossman stress that with political prisoners it is important to factor not what illegal actions they committed but rather what their conscience was. They deplore the suppression of popular information on political prisoners within the U.S that leads to a popular attitude of disbelief about the problem. They explore the cases of Mumia Abu Jamal, Geronimo Pratt, Leonard Peltier, Sylvia Baraldini, and discus the Amnesty campaign for Puerto Rican prisoners of war. They note that any victory for any prisoner helps the effort as a whole and illustrate the grassroots efforts to shut down the inhumane Lexington, KY prison. They lament that the U.S. does not allow dissent because it gives abnormally long sentences to "freedom fighters." They offer info on how to support the campaign for human rights.
Bill Crossman on Puerto Rican Prisoners of War Bill Crossman on Puerto Rican Prisoners of War
Call Number: JG/ 098AFormat: Cass AProducers: Judy GerberProgram: A Defiant HeartCollection: Programs produced by Judy Gerber and Laurie Simms
Bill Crossman speaks about Puerto Rican Prisoners of War in the US, a petition for their amnesty to the Justice Dept. under President Clinton. Puerto Rican support for these prisoners. The 16 prisoners’ sentences, convictions, and conditions are discussed. Crossman also gives historical background about US occupation of Puerto Rico, and military strategy and plans to control the southern hemisphere.