From: "Artists Network of Refuse & Resist!" Save Address - Block Sender Reply-To: rnrarts@hotmail.com To: Artists Network/LA Subject: [Y4M] on the state sanctioned murder of shaka sankofa Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 19:56:43 -0400 ReplyReply AllForwardDeletePreviousNextClose >From the poet Suheir Hammad: on the state sanctioned murder of shaka sankofa they are killing me tonight, they are murdering me tonight. 8:49 pm pronounced dead, with one eye open. these names i place in my mouth tonight. shaka sankofa, amadou diallo, and mumia abu jamal. these names familiar on my tongue. all african, muslim names. all eastern, all other. until the end of his breath, shaka sankofa, born gary graham, urged black power. march on, black people, he said. dead. and an example, now, to all people. a promise of what is to come. state sanctioned killings of innocents. a white towel they placed on his face, to cover his stare. i place these names in my mouth, and think of how american the name shaka tastes. how american mumia sounds. and the names of men we love who are called after prophets, nations, blood lines, warriors. the men we love who can never have enough eye witnesses. the state will turn back even god's eye, and witness murder easily. if i could talk right now, i'd call my girl, and tell her to keep our son inside. to shape his head into a bullet-proof crown. i'd whisper my intimates' names into a secret pot, bury it under a tree, and pray for strength to grow. i'd at least scream this pain out into the street. rage at this night. i'd call wbai and say, i don't know what to say. my sisters are somewhere tonight, broken down one more time. and what are we gonna do? shut what down? boycott whom? appeal to which court? what kind of shit is this? i had to decide whether to make a meeting on an art piece dedicated to mumia, or join a rally after shaka's reprieve was denied for a lethal, final time. what kind of decision is that to make? when mumia has to decide between beloved and the wretched of the earth to keep in his meager possession. and a 17 year old gary graham, criminalized since birth. chose the name for himself sankofa. a ghanian word, meaning to learn from the past. transformed himself into a soul outside of bars and skin and even death. it is hope they killed. it is life they ate. i love you, he said several times. i love you. learn from the past. george bush jr. is a murderer, as is his father. learn from the past. we still have mumia. learn from the past. i love you, he said. one eye open. i love you. learn from the past. 62200 10:49pm Stop the execution! New trial for Mumia! Youth & Students for Mumia www.mumia2000.org To subscribe or unsubscribe email: youth-4-mumia-owner@egroups.com