"Escaping the Prism Fade to Black" is a book I recently completed by Jamil Muntaqim. Jalil Muntaqim / Anthony J. Bottom has been incarcerated since 1971, making him one of the longest held political prisoners in the world. He was a member of the Black Panther Party and the B.L.A. (The Black Liberation Army). He is an incredibly intelligent man, and quite a gifted writer, who would truely benefit our society upon release. I hope they let this man out soon, so that he can rejoin his family, 49 years in jail, is an injustice. His co defendent Herman Bell has already been released from Prison and we are all waiting for Mr. Muntaqim to be able to be released and allowed to rejoin his family. I had read another book by Mr. Muntaqim entitled "We are our own Liberators", and I liked it a lot so I decided to buy his latest book and I loved it.
What goes through someone's mind after suffering for so long? I feel like his books are a glimpse of his ideas, his pains and who the man is. I really enjoyed his poetry. It shows us that this man who has been robbed of so much, has still retained his humanity. His poetry is unlike any I have ever read before, it is extremely powerful and it is raw and definately holds no punches.
His essay on Genocide in America really made me think about the African American men who are being robbed of their youths, rotting in cells instead of having a chance to form families and have children, so by denying them that it is a form of genecide.
The book
is full of insightful essays that inform you like no corporate sponsored media
ever will.
The book also includes a chapter by Professor/ Author Ward Churchill that briefs you on the Cointelpro (Counter Intelligence Program) used against many activists and on Mr. Muntaqim's case.
Mr. Muntaqim's book touches many interesting subjects including:
-what will happen when food becomes a weapon
-Prison Industrial Complex
- White Supremacy,
-Police Brutality/ State Sanctioned Violence
-Judicial Injustice
-What they taught us colored kids about ourselves
- and many more fascinating stories that will keep you informed on many important people in the peoples struggle e.g. George Jackson, Anna Mae Aquash Pictou,
- The illustrations in the book are very powerful. They are the works of incarcerated Revolutionaries Kevin Rashid Johnson and Zolo Agona Azania, and others, expressing themselves through art.
Mr. Muntaqim states that it is almost the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party so it is extremely important for today's generation to know out of what era these men who were part of the Black Panther Party grew up in.
If you are interested in a sample of some of his writings check out the link below:
http://www.freejalil.com/writings.html
Mr. Muntaqim also wrote a book
called "We are Our Own Liberators", in 2010, which I have read and
found it quite interesting.
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