Fam,
For as long as the movement for Black liberation has existed, Black revolutionaries, organizers and activists have been targeted and vilified in attempts to dissuade us. Many of those targeted have lost their freedoms for speaking out against white supremacy and state violence. Some leaders who fought hard for a future in defense of Black lives have spent decades in prison. We have not been deterred in our efforts to achieve Black liberation, but as we continue the fight to free ourselves, we must uplift our comrades’ sacrifice and struggle. We continue to push forward for freedom for our people, and that includes our elders who are still in prison right now.
Today we focus our energy and support on Sundiata Acoli, a poet, artist, grandfather, and freedom fighter who has been in prison for nearly 50 years. Sundiata deserves to be free for the remainder of his life, and the Bring Sundiata Acoli Home Alliance (BSAHA) is working hard to make this a reality. We’re sharing this powerful message from BSAHA seeking support in finally bringing Sundiata home. Together we can and will free our people from the cages that hold them.
In love and solidarity,
Movement for Black Lives
***
Greetings,
May 4, 2021, marked 48 years of tortured incarceration for former Black Panther and now elder Sundiata Acoli. To those that know him well, Sundiata is an educator, mathematician, poet, profound visual artist, mentor, and grandfather. On January 14 of this year, he spent his 84th birthday in a prison cell making it his seventeen thousand, six hundred and sixty fourth day in prison. The Bring Sundiata Acoli Home Alliance (BSAHA), is committed to utilizing this moment to bring Sundiata home this year.
Sundiata, like so many of our elders in prisons across the county, face significant health challenges. He currently suffers from advanced dementia, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, emphysema, post COVID 19 symptoms and glaucoma. He still suffers from lingering COVID-19 symptoms. As he continues to battle the threatening prison conditions, his life and health are in jeopardy. His health is deteriorating in his late stage of life and we are working everyday to bring him home.
In 1973, Sundiata Acoli was convicted of the death of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerester, Sundiata was sentenced to life. Such a verdict in New Jersey means that he was eligible, by law, for parole after serving twenty-five years. Despite his exemplary record and his repeated expressions of remorse, the parole board continues to deny him release. Among the community leaders, coalitions, and organizations are the National Blacks in Policing Association and New Jersey Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the New Jersey chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Constitutional Rights. All of them know what we know, Sundiata must be released.
Here is how to get involved today:
Sign and share the Petition!
The BSAHA is calling for community members nationwide to support the release of Sundiata Acoli by signing and sharing the petition demanding NJ Governor Phil Murphy release him immediately. We are calling on allied organizations and institutions to share the petition with their base and membership. We welcome collaborations and partnerships to help secure Sundiata’s release. Sundiata’s life depends on us.
Donate Today!
The BSAHA consists of educators, attorneys, faith leaders, students, and activists committed to bringing Sundiata home this year! We are fundraising to offset the many expenses of this campaign. Our goal is $300,000, we have already raised over $80,000 towards campaign expenses. We need to raise the remaining $2200K by the end of this year. We are looking to our friends, colleagues, and supporters to bring us closer to our goal by donating today. We appreciate you all for your commitment to bringing Sundiata home. We must #BringSundiataHome now! Donate today!
Online, tax-deductible donations can be made here. Please check “Sundiata Acoli Campaign” in the “What is your donation towards?” section. No donation is too big.
Paypal or Zelle donations can be made via: [email protected]
The snail mail address to send checks is:
Bring Sundiata Acoli Home Alliance
c/o NAABPP
P.O. Box 7978
Garden City, New York 11530
Checks should be made out to NAABPP (write BSAHA in the memo section)
We know we will bring him home with your support and partnership! Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.
Forward!
BSAHA
***
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