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1. Mumia Embraces LGBTQ Liberation (57 min.) - Transcript
2. Legal Update on Mumia by Johanna Fernandez (7 min.) - Transcript
3. Exchange between Mumia & Gaza solidarity student (2 min.) - Transcript
4. Noelle Hanrahan & NPR Censorship in 1994 (5 min.) - Transcript
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Mumia Abu-Jamal
Free Mumia Rally 2020
Buttons Demanding Immediate Release for Mumia
On Tuesday, October 29, we were proud to present a special two-hour, fund-drive edition of Out-FM, WBAI’s anti-racist LGBTQ-plus program. Bob Lederer conducted an exclusive interview with Mumia Abu-Jamal, the brilliant Black revolutionary journalist unjustly serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. It's the first time in Brother Mumia's almost 43 years in prison that he has spoken at length about LGBTQ issues in a public forum. Mumia described his decades-long evolution to open solidarity with queer and trans liberation.
In the interview, Mumia covered many fascinating topics, including a deep dive into the day-to-day functioning of the Black Panther Party. Just a few teasers:
- In 1970 Black Panther Party (BPP) leader Huey Newton gave groundbreaking public support to the then-strong movements for women’s and gay liberation, criticizing homophobia and calling for the BPP to build an alliance with both movements. At the time, Mumia was the 16-year-old Communications Lieutenant of the Philadelphia Chapter of the BPP. A taste of what Mumia told me:
When you think about what Huey said…about gay folks and lesbian and queer folks, I must be honest with you, it was not well received by members of the party....But as usual, this was Huey at his finest.
Mumia in Philly Black Panther office at age 16
- Mumia pays tribute to the women of the BPP, whom he describes as "the glory of the party, the hardest workers, the most disciplined members and leaders." In particular, he cites the key roles of former political prisoners Afeni Shakur, who (although not an attorney) brilliantly self-represented in the Panther 21 conspiracy frameup case -- all were acquitted -- and Ericka Huggins, a BPP leader who beat yet another conspiracy frameup, and whose husband, BPP member John Huggins, along with Bunchy Carter, were murdered in an FBI-induced plot. (Ericka, an out-queer woman who continues her lifelong community activism and healing work, has been a periodic guest on Out-FM.)
- Mumia explains how his thinking has significantly evolved since 1991, when he responded to a letter from Queers United in Support of Political Prisoners (QUISP) about our then-upcoming lesbian/gay forum to support him, by writing, “As a MOVE person, we see Heterosexual Hookups as natural and inherently right,” while also thanking and encouraging us to hold the event (we did). This started a long-term dialogue with Mumia by LGBTQ activists nationwide that played a role in his later evolution.
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Delbert Africa Surrendering to Police
The late Delbert Africa
- Mumia cites the leading role of the late Delbert Africa, a member of the MOVE 9 (a frameup murder case) and political prisoner for 42 years, in arguing for support of the lesbian and gay community.
Dhoruba Bin Wahad, former Black Panther Political Prisoner
Mumia also mentions the public support for lesbian and gay liberation by yet another ex-political prisoner, former BPP and Black Liberation Army member Dhoruba Bin Wahad. (We played a short clip from Dhoruba's powerful 1991 speech at the above-mentioned QUISP event.)
- Mumia speaks movingly about his first-hand knowledge of the "hell within a hell" suffered by gay and trans incarcerated men, mistreated by both staff and other prisoners. He mentions having witnessed attempted suicides.
Other components of the documentary:
Poster for "Manufacturing Guilt" Movie
- A short clip from the film "Manufacturing Guilt - A Short Film About Mumia Abu-Jamal's Case," produced by Stephen Vittoria and Noelle Hanrahan, for Street Legal Cinema/Prison Radio. The film summarizes just a few of the injustices committed against Mumia during his murder trial.
- Two of Mumia's audio commentaries, from 2000 and 2019, decrying the murders of white gay men and Black trans women, respectively, and putting both in the context of a violent, racist society.
- What you can do to help free Mumia and demand he (and all incarcerated people) get proper health care and nutrition while he's still held.
Take a stand to free Mumia and improve his health care and diet.
Visit prisonradio.org.
BESIDES THE ONE-HOUR DOCUMENTARY ITSELF, we have posted these three other short sound files:
- What's happening now with Mumia's legal case and the importance of movement organizing to free him and other political prisoners (an update by Dr. Johanna Fernandez)
- A brief excerpt of a recent phone dialogue between Mumia and students who had organized various Palestine/Gaza solidarity encampments, where he answers questions about strategy and tactics to build a strong movement.
- The history of National Public Radio's 1994 censorship of Mumia's contracted monthly commentaries on criminal justice, in the face of right-wing attacks from Congress -- and Pacifica Radio producers' stepping in to fill the void.
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About Out-FM
Out-FM is a weekly progressive, intersectional queer show by and for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, gender non-conforming, intersex, queer, and questioning communities. Our program originates from listener-sponsored, noncommercial WBAI/Pacifica Radio in New York, 99.5 FM and wbai.org. It’s also heard on Pacifica station KPFK in Los Angeles, 90.7 FM and kpfk.org. Our programs are archived at outfm.org. You can also follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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