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Abu Jamal Mumia is one of the most famous journalists
and related to the Black Panther Party. He has
been on deathbed since 20 years as he was convicted
to the Philadelphian police officer Daniel Faulkner.
“We Want Freedom: A Life in the Black Panther
Party” is a book written by the worlds famous
political prisoner, Mumia Abu-Jamal.
The book is a very perceptive and insightful piece
based on the social problems faced by the Black
revolutionary groups, which were misunderstood
in the history of USA. In the book the writer
expresses his personal experiences and memories
of the past while discussing the struggle of the
Black liberation movement. Basically he was against
the brutality of the police officers that practiced
racism. He was against the misuse of power against
the innocent and minorities.
On the other hand, in his writing he tries to
diverge the traditional approach of the historians
towards the liberation and revolutionary movements.
Generally the American historian writers considered
only the Civil Rights Movement as the only authentic
one. Therefore, Mumia very skillfully traced the
evolutionary location of the Party, which was
connected centuries back to the Blacks resisting
slavery. It also highlights the historical review
of the ethnic and political culture in Philadelphia
where the FBI subverted its justice via COINTELPRO
as well as discussed similar operations made earlier.
The most interesting thing is the open and conversational
style of Mumia where he discusses his personal
experiences when he was a member of the party.
Here he brings the reader close to the life of
an average Black Panther. The feeling of love
and dedication is expressed as the uniting force
of the panthers to each other for one single cause.
However at the same time the book expresses the
experiences and feelings of people belonging to
the bottom line of the part. It highlights the every
day work most of the Panthers use to do for instance
some use to sell news paper, some use to work at
night as security guards, some use to do baby sitting
in the morning and others also were into same category
of work. He actually wanted to bring awareness about
the challenges faced by most of the Panthers. These
Panthers were most committed to do something for
their people who were suffering from the brutalities
of the rich evils. So he not only analyzed the struggle
of the Black Panther Party but also threw light
that how it makes to feel and work as a member of
an extraordinary revolutionary organization like
Black Panther Party.
Therefore, the author develops an understanding
that how the society was organized and how the
higher authorities misused power. Racism and political
discrimination was at a very high level.
The authorities responsible to provide justice
misused their powers related to the social development
and social justice. Blacks were the ethnic minorities
and were discriminated both socially as well as
politically. They were made slaves and treaded
in an inhuman way especially when it came to justice.
The police officers were not only unjust but also
brutal as they use to give severe punishments
to these Blacks who were usually slaves, for something
they have not done.
All this motivated the blacks who were though
racial minorities but working on different low
level jobs to help the others to resist from slavery
and fight for social and political justice and
equality. Therefore, Mumia who was actively involved
in a revolutionary party named Black Panthers
Party, showed an open picture of the power and
social relationship with specific reference to
the movement. Where all the members of the party
were Blacks and known as the Panthers.
So the most important aspect is the relation
of power with the society that was expressed in
the book while discussing the experiences of not
only Mumia as a prisoner but also other Blacks
who were imprisoned in the federal jails as well
as the municipal prisons. The rich Native Americans
unjustly confined these to jails as the police
officers negatively used their powers against
the Blacks and gained social interest. Not only
this, all the social securities were best enjoyed
by the rich Americans and it was the blacks who
had to suffer even for the wrong done by the whites.
The higher authorities brutally discriminated
these ethnic minorities from the whites.
Therefore this book highlights the personal experience
of the author especially for the reason, he was
sent to prison. He was confined to jail on the
basis of self-framed charges of the high police
officials. These official were basically discriminating
the blacks with the whites and were very brutal
and unjust. They exploited the social structure
of America by misusing their power and authority.
On the other hand the blacks under the shadow
of a movement organized by their revolutionary
party called as BPP were struggling for justice
and equality, identity and supporting others of
their community against the rich evils. In short,
this book beautifully portrays the social structure
and the misuse of power relating to the society
during the period of the BPP.
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