Hank Jones, Maisha Quint and I just returned from a 5-day San Francisco 8 trip to the Northwest. Inspiring turnouts of people at numerous campuses and community events saw the film “Legacy of Torture” and engaged in discussions about the case. Much time was spent connecting this case (the SF 8) with other issues – locally, nationally and through out the world – and the challenges and necessity to organize in this repressive era. People especially made connections to the Green Scare Cases and, in Portland, to political prisoner Patrice Lumumba Ford & the Portland 7. The events drew diverse crowds, particularly important were students and other young people. We met great crowds at:
- The University of Oregon at an event sponsored by Steve Morozumi and the Multi-Cultural Center, National Lawyers Guild and Civil Liberties Defense Center
- An Ethnic Studies Class at the U of O taught by Irmary Reyes-Santos
- A Teach-In at the U of O demanding the departmentalization of Ethnic Studies
- An event at Lane Community College sponsored by SDS
- An event at Evergreen State College sponsored by SDS – cancelled by the administration – held anyway and defiantly attended by a full crowd
- An event at Tacoma Community College organized by Sociology Instructor Andrew Cho & SDS
- An event in Seattle organized by former political prisoners Ed Mead and Mark Cook and sponsored by the National Lawyers Guild and other groups
- And a final event in the Portland community organized by Circle A Radio, radio station KBOO and former Black Panther, Kent Ford
Thanks to all those that worked so hard to make this tour so successful – helped raise consciousness, support and funds!
— Claude Marks
