Writers for Mumia EMERGENCY! Symposium
November 20, 10:30 A.M. to 10 P.M.
Columbia Law School Auditorium

The Dec. 2 execution of journalist, essayist, poet Mumia Abu-Jamal has just been postponed. But the pressure is still on. All freedom-loving people must do everything they can to demand a new trial for Mumia where all the evidence can be heard for the first time.

Writers have a responsibility to write and speak the truth at all times, but especially when a fellow writer's life is at stake. That Mumia Abu-Jamal is an outspoken Black political activist who was never given a fair hearing in court makes his case all the more compelling. Just as writers rallied internationally to defend freedom of expression for Taslima Nasrim, Salamon Rushdie, and Ken Saro-Wiwa ‹ who faced death as a result of their writing ‹ it is critical now to defend Mumia, known since the 1970s as the "voice of the voiceless."

Writers must always take a stand against censorship. In Mumia's case the death penalty is being used as the ultimate form of censorship. Mumia must not die because he dares to speak out against police violence, the prison/industrial complex, the racism of the courts, and countless other topics that threaten the status quo. Writers must use the power of their words to free Mumia!

Learn the Truth: Teach-in, 10:30 to 1
Panelists include: Ramona Africa, spokesperson for International Concerned Friends & Family of Mumia; Michael "Tarif" Warren, one of Mumia's lawyers; Dennis Brutus, exiled from apartheid South Africa for his writing, now professor of Africana Studies at the University of Pittsburgh; Martin Espada, award-winning poet and professor of English at UMass whose poem about Mumia was censored by NPR in 1997; Herb Boyd, African American journalist; Frances Goldin, Mumia's literary agent; and Peter Hart, FAIR (Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting).

Speak Truth to Power: Speak-out, 2 to 5
Moderated by Gil Noble
Join Grace Paley and share your thoughts in poetry or prose about the struggle to free Mumia and all political prisoners, to end the death penalty, and the many issues raised by Mumia's case.

Words Will Free Mumia!: Literary Jubilee,* 7 to 10
Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, Jayne Cortez, Sekou Sundiata, Minnie Bruce Pratt, Ward Churchill, Leslie Feinberg, Veronica Golos, Mariposa, Eugene Redmond, Martha Cinader, Terry Bisson, Susan Sherman, and others.

* From the Yoruba word juba meaning celebration.

Donation: Symposium $15, Teach-in/Speak-out each $5, Jubilee $10
Students: Symposium $7, Teach-in/Speak-out each $3, Jubilee $5

Columbia University Law School
116th & Amsterdam

Co-sponsored by the Campaign to End the Death Penalty and Writers for
Mumia, founded as part of Millions for Mumia

Co-coordinators: S. E. Anderson & Susan Elizabeth Davis. Initiators: Amiri Baraka, Terry Bisson, Herb Boyd, Dennis Brutus, Jan Carew, Molly Charboneau, Barbara Christian, Ward Churchill, Jayne Cortez, Martin Espada, Sandra Maria Esteves, Leslie Feinberg, Larvester Gaither, Veronica Golos, Keropetse Kgositsile, Tony Medina, Minnie Bruce Pratt, Eugene Redmond, Sonia Sanchez, Assata Shakur, Susan Sherman, Barbara Smith, Sekou Sundiata.

Writers for Mumia
39 West 14th St.
#206, NYC, NY 10011
212.633.6646
fax 212.633.2889
email npcny@peoplescampaign.org www.peoplescampaign.org.
A project of the Peoples Rights Fund