Faith in Action

Hello People,

I am writing this to convey to all of you something that I have been thinking about recently.  Freedom Ain’t free.  As I spent the day pissed off about being ripped off by AT&T, it occurred to me that my problem was minor.

 

Eddie Conway (pictured above) has been ripped off by this very criminal justice system for over 37 years.  That is a lifetime.  A lifetime absent of many of the things that we take for granted like cell phones, a cup of coffee at some corporate chain, the ability to watch the Sopranos, a hot bath, and just being able to close a door and be alone.  And while all of those things suggest privilege - well freedom ain’t really free.  We spend money on those things and more and sometimes we even see them as needs, but on a daily basis Eddie struggles to keep enough money on his phone card to keep up with the world outside the walls.  His is a hand to mouth existence and despite this Eddie has more freedom in his spirit than many of us, but it ain’t really enough freedom.

I am pleased that the Black Panther Party Rank and File exhibit is coming to Baltimore.  It will help to raise the profile of his case.  However, I am beginning to wonder why social justice activists and conscious artists aren’t working harder to free Eddie.  As the buzz about the exhibit and a renewed interest in the Black Panther Party begins to spread; what is conspicuously absent from the dialogue is freedom.  I wonder if we haven’t gotten to a place where our political prisoners are more valuable to us locked up and representing the lengths that the government will go to repress us than they are out in our communities organizing and raising consciousness among our youth.  I have spent the last several years working with Eddie and seen many people come and go, and others stay but not budge to really help this man.  Eddie spends his time working inside with our youth as well as on the phone speaking about the BPP, COINTELPRO, and a number of subjects, and rarely does Eddie narrow the focus down to just Eddie.  He is still doing what he was doing when he went to prison - serving people.

I think it’s time that we mount a serious effort to gain Eddie’s freedom because his freedom is our freedom.  Perhaps some of us need a consciousness check as we talk about the legacy of the BPP.  These folks are still alive, and in the case of the BPP political prisoners - doing more than many of us who are “free.”  I am challenging all of you good folk to make this the year that we FREE EDDIE CONWAY…by any means necessary!  We need to set aside our personal/political/social differences and come together.  There are several things that need to happen in order to gain Eddie’s freedom and it will take all the help we can get so please engage other folks.  I want to set up a meeting in October so that we can begin a step by step process of securing his freedom.  Please contact me at (301) 919-6846 or drobinson@afsc.org.

P.S. - This movement will not be funded! 

Justice!

Dominique Stevenson

AFSC Area Director-Maryland Peace with Justice Program