-- 2 --

THEY TOUCHED A MILLION LIVES

In the struggle to free ourselves from this racist, fascist Empire, we, Black People, have taken many steps, passed through many stages. There was the era of "casting down our buckets" and making the best of our oppression with Booker T. Washington; the era of Marcus Garvey's Back to Africa Movement; the Civil Rights period, with the peaceful demonstrations led by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. In the sixties, there was a resurgence of Black pride and nationalism. Black became "beautiful". We were recognizing, expressing that Black people (like everyone else) are human beings. Throughout the many stages of our struggle for freedom, for liberation, many organizations, many men emerged. It was during the era of Black Nationalism that the Black Panther Party emerged.

In 1966, the Black Panther Party was founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. By talking to the people in the Oakland (California) Black community, they ascertained the true needs and desires of our oppressed community. This collection of needs and desires (obtained from the People) became the foundation for our Party's work, our program for serving and advocating the people's interests in our struggle for complete liberation.

Naturally the power structure was upset about the formation of this vehicle to truly serve the oppressed Black community. They were even more upset when it was not contained, isolated to the Northern California Bay Area. Other chapters and branches were organized, throughout the country.

In early 1968, the first chapter outside the Bay Area was formed, the Southern California Chapter, organized in Los Angeles. The man who undertook this task was Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter. He was the embodiment of everything positive and beautiful that could come from the oppressed community. From the Slausons (one of the largest gangs in L.A. 's East Side), from Soledad Prison, from the day-to-day confrontations with street life, Bunchy Carter brought with him all of his experience and knowledge, beautifully joined with all the love for the people that a man could give.

One of the first members of the fledgling Chapter was John Jerome Huggins. He and his wife, Ericka, had come to Los Angeles from New York. They were already committed to serving the people, but were looking for a vehicle through which to concretely do so. After attending a meeting at the Black Panther Party office in Los Angeles, and being introduced to Bunchy Carter, they both knew that the Black Panther Party was the way in which they could serve the people in the struggle for true liberation.

The power structure in Los Angeles, in accordance with the various state and federal agencies of the U.S. government, was working feverishly to subvert the feelings and expressions of human dignity. They had devised a plan to deter the people's struggle, by co-opting the natural, growing feelings of nationalism or Black pride in the Black community. One of the prime tools and agents of the Los Angeles power structure was a traitor named Ronald Everett Karenga. His function was to involve Black people in meaningless expressions and rituals of "Blackness" rather than a meaningful drive for true liberation. He began by founding a group called the US Organization. Financed by the City, he attempted to introduce a pseudo-Black culture and promote any diversion he could away from the real struggle.

Karenga's job was made very difficult in Los Angeles by the presence of the Southern California Chapter of the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was presenting a concrete program for the people's survival. This was in direct contradiction to Karenga's meaningless phrases and "Soul Sessions"(weekly rituals of "Blackness"). Further, the people began to recognize the difference between revolutionary nationalism, aimed at freeing Black People, and the vague, ill-defined nature of cultural nationalism.

Meanwhile, the number of chapters and branches grew. This growth was also paralleled by the rising consciousness

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of the People. The Black Panther Party developed the concept of revolutionary nationalism to an even higher level. When the necessary phase of Black nationalism became too narrow and confining, we became revolutionary internationalists. We recognized that oppressed people all over the world, no matter what country or area of the world, were/are all involved in a common struggle, against a common enemy, the United States Empire.

In Los Angeles, Bunchy and John had begun attending U.C.L.A. (the University of California at Los Angeles). They had begun attending U.C.L.A. through a special educational program for Black students from the most oppressed sections of the local Black community. They felt that at U.C.L.A. they would be able to recruit and educate Black students around the need to serve the Black community, returning their needed skills home. They had already begun educating the students to understand this concept, taking all of the skills and knowledge from the fascist institution and transforming those skills, putting them to use for their own Black people. Ron Karenga was very upset, because U.C.L.A. had also been on the L.A. fascists' planning board for use in further counter-revolutionary subversion of the people's quest for freedom. Karenga and his forces had been installed at U.C.L.A. to foster cultural nationalism among the Black students and further alienate them from the Black community. Karenga was even further upset because the students were in fact beginning to really work in the interest of their people again. Some of them were actually planning to return to the community with their skills.

In keeping with the Party's principle, at that time, of revolutionary internationalism, Bunchy and John worked freely with any and all progressive forces on U.C.L.A.'s campus. As a result, Black students were beginning to work and struggle along with progressive Chicano students, Indian students, white students. The people had been brought to the level of understanding the need for revolutionary international solidarity in a common struggle. The Los Angeles power structure was failing. Their lackey, Karenga, was proving incapable of doing his job of dividing and confusing the Black community.

It was all these factors that came into play three years ago, this month, when, on January 17th, 1969, on the orders of fascist Los Angeles Mayor Samuel Yorty, Ron Karenga gave the word to members of his US organization to assassinate Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter and John Huggins. However, the State-ordered murders of John and Bunchy did not have the desired effect. The Black Panther Party's Chapter in Southern California was not destroyed; nor was the people's will to be free. The deaths of Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter and John Jerome Huggins, at the hands of these traitors to Black People, only defined more clearly the need for a united front in our struggle for complete liberation.

It has been three years since January 17, 1969. Our Comrades Bunchy and John have continued to live on through the struggle of our people to survive, to fight, to win complete and total freedom. The concept of revolutionary internationalism, the common efforts of the oppressed people of the world to struggle against the oppression of the U.S. Empire, has advanced to an even higher level.

Today, we can even better recognize and analyze more things, more conditions than at that time. We see the oppressed people of the world as really representing a collection of dispersed communities, under the domination of the corporative fascist U.S. Empire. We recognize that it is no longer accurate to define particular world communities as nations. Every area of the world, every territory is threatened by or suffering directly the oppression of the U.S. government. Even though this Empire has raped and ravaged the people of the world and brought them under its direct or indirect domination, we see the positive side of the situation. All communities are led into common struggle and into the disappearance of former national ties, which lend easily to national chauvinism and antagonistic contradictions among men. With this understanding, we know that world communities can struggle against the common U.S. oppressor, relinquishing old ties in the common fight and develop a revolutionary perspective, in concrete terms, toward a world community of humankind. We have moved, then, from revolutionary internationalism to the philosophy we call revolutionary intercommunalism.

The work, the drive and love that was specifically shown in Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter and in John Jerome Huggins were the embryo of this concept. They planted the seeds of unity among oppressed people where they worked and lived, among all the victims. They infused their spirit and dedication to the struggle into their comrades, to continue to struggle toward the end to this oppression. It is in the spirit of this struggle and with revolutionary intercommunal love that we commemorate the lives and work of Bunchy and John. Their contribution is no little thing. It is significant to the entire world struggle for the liberation of all humankind.

Bunchy and John Walked through this maze They touched a million lives In a thousand ways…

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

-- 3 --

NOTHING NEW IN BATON ROUGE

On Monday, January 10th (1972), Baton Rouge, Louisiana police viciously murdered and attacked members of the Baton Rouge Black community. The pretext for this genocidal attack was that "outside agitators" (specifically "Black Muslims" and "Black Panthers") had come into Baton Rouge to disrupt and take over the town and that these "outside agitators" had to be stopped. These local fascists have even constructed elaborately detailed stories to give credibility to their "plot".

Baton Rouge racists, led by Mayor W.W. "Woody" Dumas, are actually trying to make the world believe that "their" Black people are "happy" and content with the racist oppression of the local power structure. They try to foster the concept that any strike for freedom in Baton Rouge would have to come from "outside". In fact, however, there had been many community meetings and discussions that previous week, at which the Black people of Baton Rouge had come together to discuss the needed changes and desired better living conditions and peace in the community. The people had long been aware of the oppression under which they were and are suffering. So-called outside influence did not need to point out these things.

On that Monday morning (January 10th), another such community meeting had been held, at the Temple Theater. Upon leaving the meeting, the people found that the block on which the theater was located had been surrounded and blocked off by local police. The police had brought tow trucks to remove cars from the street in front of the theater. In order to remove the cars, it seemed the police felt it necessary to come wearing helmets and armed with submachine guns, M-1 carbines and M-16 automatic weapons(like those currently used by the U.S. military against the Vietnamese people). The police had been ordered into the area by Mayor Dumas, who "thought there might be trouble" that day. (We might assume that any time a sign of the unity of oppressed people becomes even barely visible, it looks to the oppressor like "trouble".)

The police began arbitrarily hooking up cars to the tow trucks and trying to remove the cars. The people naturally protested. Because there were so many people there, on the street, the police found it impossible to actually tow away any of the cars. Racist Baton Rouge police allege that the people then began kicking and attacking them, and that a fight ensued.

During the fight, police claim that two Black men who were in the area suddenly began firing weapons at the police. The pigs further allege that they themselves returned the fire, in order to defend themselves from this "attack". When the shooting stopped, two Brothers, two Black men, lay dead in the street. Also dead were two members of the invading Baton Rouge police force. After the brutal murder of the two Brothers, racist Governor John J. McKeithen had the gall to say, "The entire State can take notice here, just what violence gets, nothing but sorrow." He certainly should understand that well, for investigation has proven that the shots that killed all four, the two Brothers and the pigs, came from the Baton Rouge police weapons.

When the shooting outside of the theater had stopped, there were 800 National Guardsmen on hand to further brutalize and attack the entire Black community. Together with local fascists, the guardsmen went on a

-- 10 --
rampage. These guardsmen had been ordered into Baton Rouge by McKeithen, who, while being so concerned about what violence brings, had called them into the city prior to any shooting. They had been standing by since early that morning.

The area was completely cordoned off. Men, women and children were indiscriminately shot on sight. Little children were forced at gun point to march down the street with their hands over their heads. A curfew (supposedly set for one day) was imposed. No one was allowed on the street after 5:30 p.m.; no one was to be out on the street again before 6:00 a.m. Fourteen people were arrested for curfew violations, held under the most outrageous bond of $50,000. each. The curfew has since been lifted. It lasted not one day, but for one week.

By nightfall (that Monday, January 10th), eight people had been arrested and charged with murder. Two Black men had been murdered and now they were looking for more. Their bond was set at $500,000. each. These eight Brothers all have said they are Black Muslims. (Eiijah Muhammed, leader of the Nation of Islam, a Black Muslim organization, in a subsequent interview with the press, has said that they are not members of the Nation of Islam.) Another twenty people were arrested for disturbing the peace. Their bond was also set at $500,000.

Racist Mayor Dumas still has the audacity to say that the incident was caused by a handful of outside agitators. (If this were so, then why were eight hundred National Guardsmen called in to brutalize and terrorize the entire Black community?) In an attempt to divide the Black community, and support their false charges, the racist Baton Rouge power structure has come up with W. Reed Canada, a "negro civic leader", to spout their lies: "I think outsiders started it all…I didn't recognize these people." This is supposed to satisfy people that the Black community of Baton Rouge was not involved and did not participate as a whole in defending itself against injustice.

In another attempt to give credence to their lies, local police even began harassing anyone, any Black, even leaving the city of Baton Rouge. Four Brothers were arrested for purchasing tickets to travel to Chicago. Baton Rouge racists were trying to make any normal activity appear to be part of some wild conspiracy. Travel from and to Baton Rouge is not uncommon, and people travel particularly between Chicago and Baton Rouge all the time.

At present, those outside of the City are not really sure what is happening in Baton Rouge. Entering the city is difficult. Comrades from the New Orleans Branch (Louisiana State Chapter) of the Black Panther Party attempted to drive from New Orleans to Baton Rouge. They were stopped on a highway just outside of Baton Rouge by Louisiana fascists. A helicopter was landed on the highway. At that point, State Highway Patrolmen asked the comrades where they were going. When they said Baton Rouge, they were viciously attacked and beaten, and told that Baton Rouge was closed to the Black Panther Party. These ignorant racists added that neither the Black Muslims nor the Black Panthers were going to "take over" their town.

What they still fail to realize is that no individual or organization in the Black community can "incite" any type of demonstration against the oppressors. Long before there was a Black Panther Party, Black Muslims, etc., there was oppression and racism. The slave ships, the lynch mobs, the plantations, the Jim Crow policy of racist separation, the Ku Klux Klan came first. The Black community of Baton Rouge does not need "outsiders" to explain the oppression to them. They do not need anyone to tell them of the necessity of struggling for liberation. The Black community of Baton Rouge is well aware of the oppression; and the members of that community, because they are like other human beings, desire complete liberation. Black people in Baton Rouge (as in most Southern cities) have, particularly, long been waging a struggle for freedom and human dignity. The city was the scene of many massive civil rights demonstrations throughout the sixties.

The fascists can attempt to cordon off our communities if they wish. They cannot, however, cordon off or contain the people's natrual desires and thrusts for liberation. Throughout this Empire the people will continue to wage struggle for our liberation and for human dignity.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Louisiana State Chapter
Black Panther Party

-- 4 --

VERY LITTLE TENDERNESS

WOMEN'S PRISON ORGANIZING
AGAINST OPPRESSION

In December of last year, Mrs. Gloria Cuzzi was appointed as the Superintendent of the Massachusetts Correctional Institute at Framingham, succeeding former Superintendent Betty Smith. This so-called correctional facility is for women. With her came a list of strict rules and regulations, including disciplinary time for "not being neat". One of Mrs. Cuzzi's own innovations, however, is the hiring of male guards. This is an obvious attempt by the Cuzzi Administration to create an atmosphere of intimidation, with the presence of male guards, not to mention the blatant violation of the women's privacy.

As a result of the planned treachery of the Cuzzi Administration, the Sisters at Framingham Prison, represented by the "Chess club" (or, the Grievance Committee), called for a sit-down strike to force the administration to negotiate with the inmates. The administration was ultimately forced to agree to negotiate with the inmates. Several meetings took place, which included representatives from the administration, the Chess Club and the Inmate Council (supported by the prison administration). At a December 23rd (1971) meeting, five points were discussed: 1) mass exposure of the discussions through a press conference at a point during the negotiations; 2) the need for books and literature; 3) soliciting of Black applicants to fill job openings at the prison; 4) rules drawn up by the sisters for the staff and matrons to follow in relationship to the inmates; and, 5) the necessity of having attorneys at the grievance meetings. In all, there are at least 50 different demands and grievances.

The struggle of the sisters at Framingham is a milestone in the Massachusetts prison movement, by the mere fact that it is the first time that a women's prison in Massachusetts has rebelled in an organized manner against the wretched conditions under which they are forced to live. The plight of the sisters at Framingham, just as in all other women's prisons in America, has not received enough exposure. The conditions in women's prisons are much the same as the men's. Warden Nixon's Administration does not differentiate on the basis of sex in its fascist methods of repression.

In order for a sister at Framingham to receive visitors, the prospective visitor must be "investigated" by a social worker. Under the prison structure, each inmate is appointed a social worker. Most male correctional facilities only require that a visitor produce proper identification in order to see inmates. This process of "investigation" takes six weeks. The women are referred to as "students", in an insulting effort to give the sisters the impression that the institution is an educational facility. The grounds of the prison are constructed much like a school campus, to add to this false illusion.

Just as in the other prisons, the inmates

-- 9 --
are forced to engage in slavelabor, from which, of course, the prison administration and the State make a considerable profit. The sisters at Framingham are forced to make "American" flags, at the pay rate of 25¢ per day. These flags are then sold to all the other fascist institutions in the State (State House, Courts, Pig Stations, etc.). Those sisters allowed to go outside the prison on a work-release program are taxed by the prison the sum of 15% of their pay, before even receiving the check, for the so-called service of transportation. Each of the sites where the women are employed is within 10 minutes of the institution by car. Certainly the amount of money required to transport the women to and from work is far less than the amount taken from them. Also, this money remains unaccounted for by the administration.

A recent incident at Framingham resulted in much brutal repression by the…Cuzzi Administration, and also much concern by members of the community. On New Year's Eve, the administration alleged that the women were celebrating with "home brew" (liquor not made by the big capitalists) and "partying" in Laurel Cottage. Matrons arrived to take two women to the maximum security area, although the matrons couldn't explain the exact reason for this.

On Saturday morning (New Year's Day), it was announced that women would be locked up in their rooms, and that a search would be conducted. At the same time, not less than 90 local and state pig guards from Walpole, Bridgewater, Norfolk and Concord, along with state troopers, lined up in battle gear outside the walls of Framingham. Three of the seven women confined in Laurel Cottage (where the search was to be conducted) refused and resisted the search. Consequently, they were put into the dungeon, which location the State itself condemned several years ago.

When sisters from Algon Cottage were let out for lunch, the male guards started singling out a few to be sent to maximum. As the guards began to move on them, the other women stood up to defend them, which was the signal to the pigs to begin their brutal assault on all the women in the cafeteria. The male guards wrapped wet towels around their hands (to avoid breaking the women's skin) in an obvious attempt to cover up their treachery. Most of the women were taken to either the dungeon or maximum. The next cottage, Pioneer, was let out for lunch. They, however, had had time to make some preparation to defend themselves. When they arrived at the cafeteria, they brought with them sticks and whatever they could get their hands on. A similar attack was launched by the male guards. Although the women fought back, the result was the same, in that most of the women were sent to the dungeon or maximum.

As a result of this fascist fiasco by the male guards, under the direction of the Cuzzi Administration, 19 women were transferred from Framingham to various prisons throughout the State. Among the women transferred were three members of the Chess Club.

The following is a list of the names of the women transferred and the institutions to which they were dispersed:

Worchester County House of Correction: Ann Carabinean, Candice Bonds, Inez Jones, Connie Cavalerier, Susan Brown, Helen Pericus, Elaine Soares (Chess Club), Judith Finn (Chess Club), Barbara Chandler (Chess Club).

Dedham House of Correction: Cheryl Mederios.

Salem House of Correction: Harolyn White.

Barnstable House of Correction: Ruth Ann Antone, Catherine Williams, Donna Kennedy, Floretta Morris.

Charles Street Jail: Nancy Martin, Tania Johnson, Marilyn Montero.

For many years, the treachery of the entire U.S. penal system went unexposed to the masses of people. During the year 1971, in particular, much of this treachery was disclosed, from San Quentin to Attica. We, as a people, have the power to change these conditions, and must go forth in solidarity with the maximum inmate population throughout America to see that these changes are realized.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Massachusetts State Chapter
Black Panther Party

-- 5 --

KEEP ON WALKING, KEEP ON TALKING

Since its inception in New Orleans, the Louisiana State Chapter of the Black Panther Party has been under constant attack by the racist state administration of Louisiana, Beginning in the early summer of 1970, when the first office was opened (at 2353 St. Thomas Street, rented from Black slumlord J.W. Stroughter, under the strings of the fascist owner Judge Bargert), there was a public conspiracy with Governor John McKeithen to evict the members of the Party, even after the rent had been paid in full. At that time pig McKeithen's exact words were, "They will not get a foothold in this community."

Since that time, the New Orleans Police Department has tried every means in and out of their law books to murder members of the Party and stop the People's Survival Programs. On September 15,1970, they attempted to murder fourteen members of the Black Panther Party at the People's office on 3542 Piety Street. After many harassments in jail and attempted railroads in court, the murder attempt was proven unsuccessful, when a People's jury of ten Blacks and two whites voted a unanimous verdict of not guilty.

The New Orleans Police Department (N.O.P.D.) a few months after the September raid made another attempt to murder members of the Party, when they donned the robes of priests and a mailman in order to gain entrance to the office at 3315 Desire Parkway, on Thanksgiving morning, 1970. Again their murder attempt was unsuccessful. Five of the six members of the Party, who were the victims of that assault, are now on the street (pending a federal gun violation trial on January 23, 1972). The seventh comrade, Larry Jackson, who is facing extradition (to San Francisco to face trial on an old charge), is still being held pending the federal trial.

McKeithen and company have seen, through these examples, that the people will not allow them to use illegality and tricks to railroad members of the community. Therefore, they have changed their tactics. They (the N.O.P.D.) are trying now to eliminate members of the Black Panther Party, one by one. On December 30, 1971, eight or nine burly pigs beat and brutalized Comrade Harold Holmes, the Coordinator of the Louisiana State Chapter of the Black Panther Party, the main office of which is in New Orleans. Comrade Harold is a 5' 9?, 135 pound Brother, yet nine of these low-natured, sadistic pigs beat Harold until he was unconscious.

For the past four weeks, comrades from the Chapter have been arrested on the streets daily, on a variety of trumped-up charges. Comrade Harold, in particular, has been recently arrested nearly every other day, on such charges as interfering with police arrests, resisting arrest, using obscene language, and, even the unbelieveable charge of assault on a police officer. After posting the high bond required for these charges, which were all put upon him after an arrest on December 28,1971, Harold was again immediately arrested. Again he posted bond, for two other charges the pigs found, as he was walking out of the jailhouse. They "found" that he had missed two recent court appearances. This was very true. He was being held by them on the days he was supposed to appear in court. When he finally went to court, a Judge Bosetta dismissed the charges and the detachments for

-- 8 --
the missed court appearances. When Harold left the court to get his belongings from the jail's Central Lockup, he was met and harassed by a racist pig, who decided Harold was not going anywhere. This oversized pig decided he would attack Comrade Harold. When Comrade Harold defended himself, the pig called his buddies, who rushed to his side to continue this attempted murder. Therefore, nine pigs in all joined in the beating. They kicked Harold about the head, face, groin and legs. Even though the pigs tried to beat Harold to death, they still were unable to count him among the broken men.

Among other wounds, Comrade Harold was believed to have had a fractured jaw bone. When he was taken to New Orleans' Charity Hospital, he was X-rayed. The X-ray confirmed that the Comrade's jaw bone had been broken. However, the hospital personnel refused to give him any treatment. He was then taken to the Flint-Goodridge Hospital, where he was told there was no broken bone. His left eye, however, had been completely closed, his lips had been busted, his face was swollen and badly bruised, and he was bleeding from his ears. He was barely able to walk or talk.

Comrade Harold Holmes is, however, still walking, still talking and still struggling to bring an end to oppression. As they were unsuccessful in beating down Comrade Harold, they will be unsuccessful in beating down the idea and the action to gain total liberation.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Louisiana State Chapter
Black Panther Party

-- 6 --

TODAY'S JUDICIAL BARGAIN: SIX NEW CHAIRS

In prisons all across America, it is well known that any time inmates do not respond to the State's efforts to make them sell their very souls, the prison administration will not hesitate to mis-treat, abuse or even murder them (as in the case of Comrade George Jackson). The State engages any tactic to make sure that its repressive apparatus is kept intact.

At San Quentin Prison (California) the administration, headed by Warden Louis S. Nelson, has gone beyond most, by making an all-out attempt to kill the survivors of the administration's attempted massacre on August 21, 1971, at which time Comrade George Jackson, Field Marshal of the Black Panther Party, was brutally murdered. The six Brothers who were particularly singled out by the prison administration, for their stand against oppression, still refuse to submit to the fascist, inhuman conditions to which they are everyday subjected.

These Brothers are: Comrades Johnny Larry Spain, Hugo Pinell, Fleeta Drumgo, Luis Talamantez, David Johnson and Willie Tate. They were all on that tier the day Comrade George was murdered. They have all been incarcerated for long periods of time for "crimes" of survival. These Brothers have been brought forward for the State's slaughter even more particularly because of the key roles they have played in uniting Black and Brown inmates. They are now called the Adjustment Center Six, because that is the portion of San Quentin in which they all were and still are housed (with the exception of Comrade Hugo, who has been transferred to Soledad's maximum security row). The term "adjustment center" is the prison administration's euphemism for the "hole", referring to an inmate's inability to "adjust" to prison life.

Each of the Brothers is charged with five counts of murder, five counts of assault, one count of conspiracy to commit murder, and, for Comrade Johnny Larry Spain, one count of attempted escape. On Monday, January 17th, another hearing on their case was held at the Marin County Courthouse. This hearing was convened for the supposed purpose of entering the Brothers' formal pleas into the court record. This is a continuously absurd procedure, since not one of the Brothers, since charged, has been assigned an attorney of his choice. Of course, this is a constitutional right. The court's fascism and arrogance in continuing so-called

-- 7 --
legal proceedings under the circumstances of denying the Brothers their constitutional rights is flagrantly despicable.

All the Brothers were handcuffed, and shackled over their shoulders, around their waists, and down to their ankles. Even spectators, the people entering the court, had to endure animalistic treatment, registering just to enter court, getting a "pass", and being thoroughly searched.

Since the Brothers have not been allowed the attorneys of their choice, they have been forced to handle the court proceedings themselves. One of their first motions, on January 17th, was to disqualify the judge, McGuire. The motion was, of course, denied. They also asked for, and were granted, a week's continuance for the entering of their pleas. Not due to any leniency on the court's part, the continuation was granted on the basis of the fact that Comrade Hugo Pinell's attorney was not present.

Comrade Hugo demanded a hearing to get a court injunction, in order to get the State to recognize and put a halt to the administration's brutality, under which they are all suffering inside the adjustment center. Even with State legislative investigations of the California Prisons now going on, San Quentin and Soledad prisons have not even waivered in their extremely brutal practices against inmates, particularly these Brothers. Comrade Hugo pointed out that Associate Warden Park (San Quentin) and California Department of Corrections Head, Raymond Procunier, should be the ones chained to the chairs, undergoing criminal trials: "They are the guilty parties."

The Brothers then made a host of additional motions, in an attempt to secure the most fundamental rights. They moved to end the inhumane conditions in the adjustment center; to get the right to attorneys of their choice; to receive the usual visiting rights (or as the prison chooses, "privileges"); to exercise their most basic human rights. When these were all summarily denied, Comrade Hugo made a motion that the Brothers be allowed to at least have one hand free, so they could take notes for their own defense. Even this motion was denied. Then, in a pathetically deceptive attempt to "appease" the defendants, McGuire said "he" was building a new courtroom, which would provide the Brothers with "bigger chairs".

One of the final motions made at the end of this farcial session was by Comrade Luis Talamantez, who asked that they be allowed access to legal material, including paper on which to write. It was at this point that the State's functionaries really showed out, really demonstrated the intent, the inhumanity, the State's own inability to accept its own legal structure. A man named Knocke, from the California Attorney General's office, who was present seemingly to legally lie for the Department of Corrections, in seeking to have Comrade Luis' motion denied, casually remarked that the Brothers could write their notes on "toilet paper". "It's a common thing for them," he went on; "They don't need any special privileges."

If it were ever clear, it is clear now that there will not be any facade of justice in the Brothers' court, that the court doesn't intend to get bogged down with too many legal procedures. It is certainly no surprise. Anything that goes on in future court proceedings will be no surprise. The Adjustment Center Six are on trial because they survived, survived the barbarity of the prisoner's daily life, survived the attempted massacre of August 21, 1971. They are on trial because they are an example to Brothers and Sisters in maximum and minimum prisons all over the country. They are an example the U.S. fascist power structure will bend law and liberty to silence in the gas chamber.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

-- A --

UNITY ENDS BOYCOTT

AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN
BILL BOYETTE AND BLACK COMMUNITY

As of January 14, 1972, the boycott of Bill's Liquor Stores, in Oakland, California, is over. These stores, owned by Brother Bill Boyette (president of the Cal State Package Store and Tavern Owners Association, or Cal-Pac), had been picketed for over five months, for the purpose of leveling economic pressure, through the community's boycott, upon Bill Boyette.

Many people can remember when, during last summer, the Black Panther Party aided Cal-Pac in picketing and boycotting one of the Mayfair Chain stores in the Oakland Black community. This came as a result of a request on Cal-Pac's part for support in trying to force stores in the community to refuse to carry certain liquor brands (Johnny Walker scotches, Jim Beam and McNish scotch whiskey and Tangueray gin), because the distributors of the liquor had refused to hire Black people as other than low-level personnel. Within four days after the Party joined the picketing, the Mayfair store was closed.

Part of the agreement between Cal-Pac and the Party was that if the Black Panther Party helped in picketing Mayfair, a continuous contribution to the Black Panther Party-sponsored community survival programs (such as the Free Breakfast for School Children Program, the David Hilliard People's Free Shoe Program, the Angela Davis Free Food Program, etc.) would be made by each of the nearly 30 Cal-Pac member liquor stores. The type and quantity of the contribution was to be determined by the liquor dealers themselves. The main point was that the contribution had to be continuous. Cal-Pac offered a joint member donation, on a one-time basis, of several pounds of bacon, several dozen eggs, loaves of bread, gallons of milk. People's hunger and need for food, or other basic necessities is on-going. Therefore, the one-time donation was not acceptable.

There was a great deal of discussion over this point, for it was/is crucial. The needs of our community are on-going and will require strong efforts on everyone's part, until such time as we, our whole people, are in full control of the economy of the community, until we are liberated. It was explained to Cal-Pac that the one-time donation was a kind of pay-off, as though a service had been rendered and a pay check was to be passed out. They refused to alter or change their offer. After much discussion, the Black Panther Party organized a community boycott against the Cal-Pac's president's store.

We understood that the Black Businessman, though he had accumulated a greater quantity of money to get the things he needed and wanted, was still a victim of the super American corporate business power structure. He was a victim, relatively, as all others in the Community are victims. He might exist at a higher level within the Black community than the majority of the people, but his existence, his very survival was at the mercy of the big, racist profiteers. He could climb, but just so high. He could enter in, but just a little. The men who own and control the large production companies, the fundamental economy in this country, who are in fact in control of the very government apparatus which carries out their designs, have not, nor do

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they intend to permit the Black man to enter into their world. They dominate the economy and thereby the society. Certainly the members of Cal-Pac did not stand outside this reality.

It was clear, than, that really the only reliable support the Black businessman has is from his own Black community. If his business is to survive, he must have the support of the community. In the beginning Cal-Pac did not see this point. Further, they did not seem to grasp that certainly by joining with the community, by giving to and sharing with the community, the support of the community would increase. Certainly that would be to the Black businessman's interest, to the interest of his own survival.

This was a point of disagreement; in fact, a point of departure. When Cal-Pac decided there was no need to regularly donate to the survival programs or any other programs truly serving the community's real needs, it was a decision that would have ultimately proved to their disinterest. Cal-Pac, however, was not alone. Although their position was to be supported by a newly-formed organization of Black businessmen (the Ad Hoc Committee to Preserve Black Business), in fact, they represented the misconceptions of the average Black businessman in the country. Many, or most Black businessmen live under the illusion that although those who consume their products and patronize their businesses are predominately Black, that they are separate from and not in any way dependent upon the poorer people in the community, which are in the greater number.

However, as Cal-Pac represented those ideas, the Black Panther Party represents the interests of the Black community, to receive the basic requirements for life (which are human birth rights): to have enough food, enough clothing, a place to stay, shoes on your feet, etc. It was a contradiction. It was a contradiction among victims, among Brothers, among class Brothers. It was resolvable. The Black Panther Party chose the method of economic boycott of one of Cal-Pac's stores to bring the contradiction to a head, to the point where it could be resolved. Bill Boyette became the example, not only for Cal-Pac, or the Ad-Hoc Committee, but for the Black Businessman, in general, to view. It had to be brought out, in real terms, so that everyone could understand, that the Black businessman and the Black community are suffering under the common oppression, relatively, of the racist, fascist U.S. government. This is a point that had to be brought home, so that we could all come home and thereby join in a common struggle to rid ourselves of this oppression.

It was not intended, and, fortunately, did not develop into an antagonistic battle, into a win-or-lose conflict, a fight to the bitter end. The purpose in heightening or bringing out this long-time division in our community, among our people, was to get it out in front, where it could be resolved. If this long-standing issue were to continue to be glossed over, or white-washed, we

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would all lose. It's as fundamental as the old saying, "In Unity there is strength".

In July (1971), the Black Panther Party set up pickets in front of one of Bill Boyette's two liquor stores. The idea was that if the Black businessman could not or would not aid in the common struggle of the entire community, as he was in a better position to do so, as his very position had come about from the community itself, then he would have to be punished, criticized until he would mend his ways. He would have to concretely see that without the patronage of the community, he, himself, couldn't survive. By joining in the common effort, however, by returning a small amount of what he receives from the people back to the people, on a regular, on-going basis, he too, would benefit. He would not lose. We would all win.

During these past months there have naturally been bitter moments. A struggle is never easy. Struggles, however, like all things, always develop to some nodal point, some point at which a change, a point of transformation is reached. Between oppressor and oppressed such struggle has always developed to physical conflict, to the use of violence. This is because they are in total opposition to each other, because they are enemies. A struggle, a contradiction among Brothers, members of the same family, the same oppressed community, does not need to, and by virtue of its very nature, will not develop so.

Bill Boyette is a Black man. He is in business, profitting from and living better than most in the Black community. In another sense, he is a member of our family, if we view our community as a large family. Our arguments with him were family arguments, that can become bitter, but that are resolvable. Everyone is probably familiar with how well this relates to the story in the Christian Bible in which the father gives his two sons all his wealth. In that story, one son uses the wealth wisely, working with the father to build up their homeland. The other son goes out, leaving the home, and unwisely squanders the money. The story goes on that the son, who left the family, the home, squandering the family money, eventually loses everything. He is without food or even a place to stay. He tries to get help, but there is none. No one seemingly cares. He decides to return home, to tell the father that he is sorry he has squandered half the family's money, and to ask to even work for his own father. Upon his return, he is welcomed with open arms. This has become known as the story of the prodigal son.

After suffering great loss, Bill Boyette decided to return home. It must be clear, however, that his decision was not only based on his financial situation, his losses; not only based on the fact that he recognized that it is the community, his own community, which maintained him; but, primarily, this was his own decision, as a Black man, to join in struggle with the whole community against the common oppressor. Even more credit should be given to this decision, as Brother Bill Boyette stood up and admitted a mistake and is going about correcting it. Many may not have been able to do this. He had nothing else to lose, for his business had already gone down so far, that he was broke. Certainly, if he had decided to refuse to unite in our struggle, he himself was not going to face much greater loss. He made a decision based upon his love for and understanding of the People. He took the criticism and came to understand.

On Saturday, January 15, 1972, Brother Bill Boyette joined Huey P. Newton, the leader of the Black Panther Party and Servant of the People, along with Congressman Ron

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Dellums, Father Earl Neil (of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church) and Hiawatha Roberts (of the Ad Hoc Committee in a press conference to announce the end of the boycott. Of course, as with all things, the going out of one thing signals the coming into being of another. Many people have spoken, thought about and talked about the need for unity in the Black, oppressed community. The Black Panther Party, too, recognizes that without the unity of the victims, we cannot struggle and win freedom from oppression. The very fact that Bill Boyette and Cal-Pac and the Ad Hoc Committee were joining in the efforts of the Black Panther Party to announce the end of the boycott, introduced a real, a concrete move toward the kind of unity necessary for the liberation of all of us.

At the Press Conference, Brother Ron Dellums (whose office facility was used to deliver the announcement) read a prepared statement outlining the positive agreement that had ended the boycott. The statement points out that a new unity has been realized in the Black community, a new unity that had come out of struggle, which should advance the ability of the Black community's on-going need to survive:

"We are announcing today that as agreement has been reached of great importance to all of the people in the Bay Area and, in particular, the black population of this area. This agreement, between the Black Panther Party and the Ad Hoc Committee for Promotion of Black Business, officially ends the boycott of Boyette's Liquor Stores by the Black Panther Party.

"It is my belief that this agreement between the Ad Hoc Committee and the Black Panther Party is not only important, but has unique aspects that bear commenting upon here.

"The agreement is important because it portends the development of a greater sense of organized unity and purpose than has heretofore existed in the black community. The business and social elements have here pledged to work together in a constructive and purposeful manner so that the fiscal and human resources of that community can be joined in a common effort toward common goals.

"The agreement is unique in that many agreements that arise or are created out of prolonged and bitter conflict often end by somebody winning and somebody losing. In the present case there are no losers. I strongly believe that all parties to this agreement are winners. Among the winners are the Black Panther Party, the Ad Hoc Committee to Promote Black Business and Bill Boyette, the president of the Cal-Pac Liquor Dealers of the East Bay. Much the greater winners, however, are the black community in particular and the greater community in general. In an important sense this has been a creative conflict for out of it has come not only a new recognition of responsibility and respect on both sides, but a whole new organization, created to respond to the desperate and special needs of the black community, which needs have often been dramatized by the Black Panther Party.

"That new organization is The United Black Fund of the Bay Area, Inc. This organization, sponsored and created by the Ad Hoc Committee for the Promotion of Black Business and the Cal-Pac Liquor Dealers, has already begun the task of collecting funds from black businesses and individuals

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for programs of special need in the black community. Operating as a non-profit social vehicle for the black community, this new organization will make disbursements to various significant organizations in the black community on a regular and continuing basis. Among the programs that will benefit are the survival programs of the Black Panther Party. My staff and I have been very pleased to be of assistance in resolving this conflict, and I particularly thank Don Hopkins, my district representative, for the many hours he has spent in this effort. It should be underlined, however, that it is the good faith and genuine concern for the welfare of this community that has made it possible for the parties to this dispute to the here today; it is this same faith and concern which will make this event a milestone of progress in the development and welfare of the community."

As Congressman Dellums' statement describes, even a new organization has been created by the Black businessmen with the aims of really working in the interest not only of the businessmen, but of the entire Black community. Brother Huey P. Newton pointed out that the regular donations made to the survival programs sponsored by the Black Panther Party would be given through St. Augustine's Church.

Unity among the victims, particularly within the oppressed Black community, presents a very threatening picture to the racist U.S. government. This government, sponsored and controlled by the big white corporate capitalists, is aware that the resolutions of the minor contradictions within the oppressed community means a greater emphasis will be placed, then, on the major contradictions, specifically between the oppressed and the oppressor. In fact, the contradictions within the oppressed community are most times created by and promoted by the government, The government wishes to promote greater dis-unity, division within the oppressed community. The case of the boycott of Bill's Liquor stores was no different. Using the news and other propaganda machinery is one of the government's main methods of carrying this out.

At the press conference on Januar 15th, newsmen kept repeating, in different forms, questions about whether or not there had been agreement on a specific amount of dollars to be "paid" to the Black Panther Party. They asked was everyone sure there was no minimum donation that had to be regularly be given, even though it had been stated time and again that the specific donation would be determined by the businessmen. One reporter even asked if Brother Bill Boyette felt he had been "bludgeoned" into agreement. He told them, frankly "…I have had a tremendous loss. In fact, I'm broke. But I don't feel that I have been forced into agreement, because if I felt that I was going to be forced into something. I wouldn't have gone broke trying to do something."

The government's obvious anger over how this contradiction had been brought out and resolved to the People's interest continued to be demonstrated. There were many questions about what would "happen" if the donations were not "acceptable". They were still trying to drum up even a little bit of division on the issue. Hiawatha Roberts, of the Ad Hoc Committee, finally explained that everyone concerned had agreed that their collective decision would serve the interests of the entire community:

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"The agreement primarily is one based upon good faith, good faith demonstrated by the Black Panther Party in removing the pickets; good faith on the part of the members of the Ad Hoc Committee in recognizing a situation which has certainly long confronted the community. It wasn't anything new to the Black community that Black businessmen ought to make contributions to special problems which confront the total Black community. We give Huey Newton credit, however, for adding the catalytic agent which made that realization come about, perhaps, may be five years earlier in the Black community than it would have otherwise. The Black businessmen have always been committed to the idea, have given lip service to it, but have not in any organized way sought to set up a vehicle which will be able to address itself to those special needs of the Black community. And, one of the special needs of the Black community certainly are many of the Survival Programs which have been outlined by the Black Panther Party. Certainly we as Black businessmen cannot quarrel with the fact of feeding hungry children in the City of Oakland, or trying to get rid of Sickle Cell Anemia, and many of the other Survival Programs which have been outlined by the Black Panther Party. However, in addition to that, the organization and the vehicle which we have set up is going to address itself to a much broader area in the Black community than those which have even been outlined by the Black Panther Party."

The leader of the Black Panther Party and Servant of the People, Huey P. Newton, summed up how and why the contradiction had to be and was resolved. Further, he pointed out that with this type of unity, we can together begin to bring about more economic stability for our community, allowing for the larger victories, our liberation, to be a step closer to realization: "…We're very happy that this contradiction is over, and that the community is now going into its first stages of organizing itself in order to attend to the ills that we have been suffering so long. It was a very hard fight. It was a fight among class Brothers, and friends. Most of the time when we enter into these kinds of contradictions, even among our friends, we come out with something in the interest of everyone. If that's not the case, then, of course, the new thing should be criticized. We're sure, hopeful that this particular matter was resolved in the best interests of the whole community. We plan to go on contributing through our survival programs, the health clinics, the shoe distribution, that we have been doing; but, now we'll be in a better position to give more to the community. We're very sorry that it lasted so long, because it wasn't in any of our interests to fight. However, as a result of the fight, we hope to have a great unity in the community, for the Black community in general is very disorganized and very dis-united. We believe in bringing contradictions out to the front, in order to handle them. If we attempt to bury them, then, of course, we can't see them, so we can't even take the first step in making a thing better…"

He went on to explain that the "…fight has just started…In order to build a strong force, we have to unite all of the victims. We realize that within our community there are large chain, white stores, corporations. It's our intention at this time to ask a donation from those stores who take the money out of our community. We feel confident that we can win much faster than five months, because we have the strength of the WHOLE community: the Black businessmen, as well as Black people who have no businesses…Our next move, then will be to aid the Ad Hoc Committee in encouraging more Black businesses to join them. Our next step will be to ask a contribution from such stores as Breuners, Mayfair, and so forth. We're sure that the Ad Hoc Committee and Cal-Pac will join us in this effort, in order to get justice for our community."

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The struggles in the oppressed community will, of course, continue. With the greater development of the unity, there will come greater victories for all oppressed people. Therefore, we, the Black Panther Party, ask and encourage everyone in the community to welcome, as we do, with full love, the return home of Brother Bill Boyette. We shall be putting forth every effort to help rebuild his business, so that he can recover from his losses. We will be leafletting and going throughout the local community to ask people to shop at Bill's Liquor stores.

In the prodigal son story mentioned above, there was another point. When the prodigal son returned, the father got together a huge banquet to welcome his son who had returned. He told that son that his place was within the family, not anywhere else. The other son became jealous and couldn't understand why so much fuss was being made over the prodigal. The son felt that since he himself had stayed and never strayed from the family, that he deserved such treatment, if anyone; that certainly the prodigal son didn't deserve such extraordinary concern. The father explained to that other son that as he had remained, of course he was his beloved son, and that everything the family had was his. However, the father explained, the prodigal son had been lost, but was now found; that he had come home, and that was an extraordinarily beautiful event.

Brother Bill Boyette exemplified the basic opinions of most Black businessmen. However, he has set another example, by his decision to join in our struggle for survival, by returning home. If we could criticize him before, then we must know the value of his decision. We must know that he wasn't so small, so un-loving of the people that he would insist on being right, under any circumstance. Brother Bill Boyette will be a partner with us all in the struggle for our survival and liberation. This is certainly a progressive step for us all. It is good.

ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE

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PEOPLE'S PETITION

FOR IMMEDIATE PAROLE OF BROTHER DAVID
HILLIARD FROM THE CALIFORNIA PRISON
SYSTEM OR AN APPEAL BAIL BOND WITH
A RETRIAL JURY OF HIS PEER-GROUP.

WE THE PEOPLE, RESIDENTS OF THE WORLD COMMUNITY, IN THE SPIRIT OF REVOLUTIONARY INTERCOMMUNALISM, DO HEREBY REDRESS OUR GRIEVANCE AND PETITION THE COURTS OF AMERICA AND THE CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT AND PAROLE BOARD: THAT DAVID HILLIARD BE RELEASED FROM HIS PRISON INCARCERATION IN THE CALIFORNIA PENAL SYSTEM TO THE PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITIES ON PAROLE OR AN APPEAL BAIL BOND.

BROTHER DAVID HILLIARD, POLITICAL PRISONER AND CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY, WAS IN FACT WRONGFULLY CONVICTED ON FALSE CHARGES BY A PREDOMINATELY WHITE RACIST JURY, AS ALL MEMBERS OF THE OAKLAND BLACK COMMUNITY WERE SYSTEMATICALLY ELIMINATED FROM THE JURY SELECTION PROCESS IN HIS TRIAL.

IN LIGHT OF THESE FACTS, WE THE UNDERSIGNED, THEREFORE PETITION THAT DAVID HILLIARD BE GRANTED HIS HUMAN AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, THAT IS, PAROLE FROM PRISON OR AN APPEAL BAIL BOND BY THE AMERICAN COURTS PENDING APPEAL OF HIS CASE BEFORE HIGHER COURTS, AND THAT HIS RETRIAL JURY BE OF HIS PEERS, A TRUE REPRESENTATION OF A CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY. NAME
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