I find this piece of information mind-blowing, particularly since Speak
Out is, or was, an organization that I respected. You ask any former
Black Panther, who wasn't an undercover FBI or police agent, what they
consider Brown's role to have been, and the consensus will be that she
was a "pig." She was a main collaborator with Huey Newton in the
destruction of the BPP and this choice by Speakout will no doubt make
Davd Horowitz's day because she was around when Betty Van Patten, who
had been the BPP accountant, was murdered.
To recall one Elaine Brown moment, when she was asked by Atty. Luke
McKissack,during a Panther trial in LA why Melvin "Cotton" Smith, who
turned out to be an undercover FBI and police agent, was staying at the
home of SWAT team Sgt. Callahan, Brown's response was that "he needs
protection." Brown also was one of those who attended the Oakland
meeting with Geronimo Pratt when he was supposed to have committed a
murder in Santa Monica, and I don't recall her ever coming forth to
apologize.
I will contact Speak Out and let them know what they've done.
Jeff Blankfort
> radtimes
>
> Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2001 12:25:35 -0700
> From: radtimes <resist@best.com>
> Subject: [sixties-l] Speaking Tour with Elaine Brown
>
> Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2001
> From: Speak Out <katya@speakoutnow.org>
> Subject: Speaking Tour with Elaine Brown
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> SPEAK OUT is planning a speaking tour featuring Elaine Brown, a
> former leader of the Black Panther Party and a long-time activist and
> author (see bio below). The tour is slated for Black History Month in
> February 2002 and beyond in conjunction with the release of her
> much-anticipated new book "Condemnation of Little B," which examines
> the case of a 14-year old sentenced to life imprisonment for a crime
> he did not commit. Please contact Speak Out for details on costs and
> scheduling.
>
> Thank You!
> Katya Min
>
> Elaine Brown
> Elaine Brown became, in 1974, the first and only woman to lead the
> Black Panther Party. In her autobiographical memoir, "A Taste of
> Power: A Black Woman's Story," she recounts her life from the ghettos
> of North Philadelphia to her leadership in one of the country's most
> important and militant civil rights groups. Currently the book is
> being developed by producer Suzanne de Passe as an HBO movie.
>
> Now with her forthcoming book "The Condemnation of Little B" (due out
> February from Beacon Press), Brown examines racism in the United
> States through the case of Michael Lewis, "Little B," a 14 year-old
> African American boy condemned to life in prison. The story of
> "Little B" is a riveting one, and an example of the particular burden
> racism imposes on Black youth. Brown met Lewis and began
> investigating details of the case, uncovering how the prosecution
> railroaded the boy in their search for a quick, symbolic conviction.
> Brown also examines the role of the press in molding public sentiment
> and portraying "Little B" as a "super-predator." Brown cites studies
> and cases from all over America which reveal how much more likely
> youth of color are to be convicted of crimes and to serve long - even
> life - sentences, and ironically how deeply the new Black middle
> class is implicated in this devastating reality.
>
> General Topics Elaine Brown can address:
> African Americans
> Black Panther Party
> Civil Rights Movement
> Police Brutality, Abuses
> Political Prisoners
> Prisons, Prisoner Abuse
> Racism
> Women & Feminism
>
> ------------------------------
>
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