IT'S ABOUT TIME - 35th Year Black Panther Party Reunion
The It's About Time Committee is committed to hosting an inclusive,
non-sectarian, memorable event that celebrates the founding
principles, platform, and programs of the Black Panther Party (BPP).
We will commemorate the historic legacies of the BPP as well as the
many sacrifices and constructive contributions that all of us made
while serving the people body and soul.
As we approach the 35th anniversary of the Black Panther Party's
founding, not only do we have the opportunity to celebrate, we have
the responsibility to place our own experiences into historical
context. We have the privilege and obligation to acknowledge the
support of our elders, friends and families during those turbulent
times and we must commemorate the sacrifices of those who fell in
body and in spirit to the prevailing internal and external forces of
those times; especially our political prisoners.
After 27 years of court battles, we recently celebrated the release
of our comrade geronimo ji jaga from Amerika's gulag. During the
course of that struggle, information about the FBI's COINTELPRO
program of dirty tricks and blatant set-ups came to light. We must
rededicate ourselves to the struggle to seek justice for the many
other victims of COINTELPRO who continue to suffer behind bars, and
all political prisoners.
Unless we former members do otherwise, the legacy of the BPP will be
rendered moot - largely ignored, dismissed and distorted by today's
commentators and tomorrow's historians. We need to tell our stories
and the stories of those of us who we lost or remain imprisoned.
Those of us who continue to struggle for justice in our communities
need to come together as a unified force. We must get beyond the
divisions, orchestrated by the COINTELPRO forces, among others, to
render us ineffective or destroy us as a viable movement.
Let us come together to celebrate our contributions to the Black
Liberation Struggle, to the struggle for all peoples for justice and
humanity, to preserve our history, set an example for today's youth,
and to Unite in our dedication to seeking justice for our political
prisoners - It's About Time!
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It's About Time Committee
to Celebrate the Founding of the Black Panther Party
PO Box 221100, Sacramento CA 95822 - (916) 455-0908
** Jonina Abron ** Safiya Bukhari ** Sherry Brown ** Clark (Santa
Rita) ** Bailey ** Kathleen Cleaver ** Nzinga Conway ** Terry Cotton
** Aaron Dixon ** Elmer Dixon ** Emory Douglas ** Claudia Grayson **
(Sister Sheba) ** William (Billy X) Jennings ** Frank Kellum **
Tarika (Matilaba) Lewis ** Akua Njeri (Deborah Johnson) ** Jimmy
Slater ** MadalynnCarolRucker ** Talibah Shakir ** Gail Shaw **
35TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION AND CONFERENCE
BLACK PANTHER PARTY, October 11-14, 2001
University of the District of Columbia
4200 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington DC
Things you can do to make this conference a success:
1. Make a tax-deductible donation - a donation of $50 or more will be
recognized in our conference program book.
2. Donate memorabilia from the Black Panther Party or other social
justice movements of the 60's and 70's. We will have an historical
exhibit which will include newspapers, buttons, posters, photos and
other documents.
3. Spread the word through your organization, among friends in your
region and to the progressive media.
4. Volunteers will be needed to help organize at the event.
5. Organizations and vendors who would like to set up tables can
contact Sister Sheba at cvgsheba@burningmail.com.
6. Organizations that would like to place an ad or message in our
Conference Program can contact itsabouttime3@juno.com.
7. Check our website for updates on the conference at
itsabouttimebpp.com.
Make checks payable to: It's About Time
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Tentative Reunion Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 11 - registration and opening of hospitality suite
Opening of all exhibits: photos, memorabilia, art and video showings
Panel on police brutality and Panel discussion of Reparations
Entertainment
Friday, Oct. 12 - Registration
Opening plenary session with Bobby Seale
Workshop sessions in morning and after lunch
Friday afternoon Panel on Political Prisoners with representatives
from each defense committee, and Political Prisoners speak out
Friday evening social event
Saturday, Oct. 13 - Morning plenary session with Safiya Bukhari
Workshops
Plenary session on Cointelpro
Saturday evening Banquet, Special Invitation only with Kathleen
Cleaver
Sunday, Oct. 14 - Community Day in Malcolm X Park - food, speakers
and entertainment
Most workshops will be facilitated by former Black Panther Party
members
Proposed workshops include:
Police Brutality - Michael Zinzun
Art and Music in the struggle - Emory Douglas and Boots Riley
How to Organize Youth - Malcolm X Grassroots and Rory Abernathy
Role of Women in the BPP - Rosemari Mealy
Health Issues - Dr. Bert Small
Solidarity in the Struggle - Richard Aoki, AIM, Young Lords, Attica
Prisoners
Former Political Prisoners Speak
Organizational Strategies - Clark Bailey
The Role of the Black Panther Party in the Struggle
Reparations - S.E. Anderson
And others
Video film showings will be ongoing throughout the event, as well as
art, photo and historical exhibits
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Jul 07 2001 - 13:59:37 EDT