The System vs. Geronimo: Why? 
Mumia Abu-Jamal 
June 28, 1997 

 Much of the national media made much of the recent reversal of the murder 
conviction of former Black Panther official Geronimo ji Jaga (ne E. G. 
Pratt), after almost 3 decades in California hell-holes. 

Few accounts explained why Geronimo was caged, and why the state fought so 
long and hard to keep him there, even using foul and unfair means to do so.  

This writer, who knew Geronimo in his youth, will attempt to do so. 

Why would the state of California and the FBI knowingly convict a man of a 
murder that they knew he didn't commit? 

The answer to this conundrum lies less in the realm of the "law" than in the 
area of politics. 

Geronimo's "offense" had nothing to do with murder and everything to do with 
his political beliefs and activities; he was a Black Panther, and a 
revolutionary, and therefore, he was a target to be "neutralized," in FBI 
terms. 

In December 1969, the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party 
was attacked by the heavily-armed L.A.P.D.  Geronimo, as the office's Defense 
Minister, heavily insulated the office against government attack, and a 
gun-battle ensued, lasting up to 10 hours of urban war. 

When the smoke cleared, every Panther emerged alive, thanks to Geronimo's 
skilled defense work, and military expertise. 

Although several Panthers were later beaten by cops (the chapter's Culture 
Minister had his right hand, his drawing--as in art--hand, broken) none 
suffered life-threatening wounds, despite hours of being under heavy police 
automatic fire and bombing by grenades. 

Geronimo, who learned the art of war in the rice paddies of Viet Nam, had 
brought the war--this time _for Black liberation-- home, and the state marked 
him from that day forward. 

For his armed defense of the Black Nation (through the Black Panther Party) 
Geronimo would be hunted, framed and caged in a cruel succession of state 
gulags for almost 30 years, while an FBI/LAPD/L.A.D.A. (District Attorney) 
snitch would be massaged into positions of power, prominence and influence 
over the Black community of LA 

As a Black ex-sheriff, Julius "Julio" Butler knew people in the region's cop 
community, and used that knowledge to his advantage, as a smart snitch would. 
Despite felony convictions, the DAs office armed him, and by treating old 
cases as misdemeanors, opened the doors to law school where Butler won a law 
degree. Thus equipped, this paid FBI/LAPD/L.A.D.A. informant, standing on the 
caged back of Geronimo, ascended the leadership of the LA African-American 
community as he was named a deacon of one of the city's most respected Black 
churches. 

As he rose, the state's judiciary and political establishment stomped on 
Geronimo again and again and again and again and again--denying him parole, 
denying post-conviction petitions, denying his habeas writs, setting him up 
on bogus prison charges, time and time again. By caging this revolutionary, 
the state killed 3 birds with one stone: 1) the government deprived the Black 
community of one of its most militant (and militarily skilled) fighters; 2) 
the government put in place of Black prominence a paid informant; and, 3) the 
government fractured and dissipated emerging white, progressive support by 
falsely tying the murder of a Santa Monica school teacher to a known Black 
Panther, like Geronimo. 

It also used the growing paranoia of the late Dr. Huey P. Newton to prevent 
crucial support from coming to Geronimo's aid in his darkest hour of need. 

In a demonstration of admirable, albeit misguided, discipline, almost a dozen 
Panthers stood by silently while Geronimo was railroaded, as they were under 
orders from the Supreme Commander to not assist a man who, Huey feared, had 
defected to the more militant East Coast wing of the Black Panther Party. It 
would take decades for them to realize that the East Coast-West Coast split 
was itself fomented by agents and operatives of the FBI, and finally, like 
ripe plums, they fell into line, and testified, decades later, to knowing 
Geronimo was innocent of the Santa Monica murder, as he was some 400 miles 
away, in Oakland, at the time. 

It is easy for us to now celebrate Geronimo's return as a signal victory, and 
it is. But, we must not stop there. 

We must also acknowledge it was a victory for the state which unjustly stole 
27 years--half the life--of a man who rightly defended his people from unjust 
attack. For 30 years the government created a Black "leader"_ it could work 
with (a snitch and a lawyer!). 

For almost 3 decades the state wiped the field clear of revolutionaries, and 
allowed gangsters (like Freeway Ricky Ross) to thrive, thus lobotomizing an 
entire Black generation with a cruel, new form of chemical warfare (until 
they got tired of them and set _them_ up!). 

Because of their efforts, the Black Panther Party is no more. So who won, who 
lost?  

Because of their unprincipled, foul methods, most Black folks hear the word 
"revolutionary" and think it's a new kind of fabric softener. 

Because of their utilization of the law as a tool of white supremacy and as 
an instrument of crime countless revolutionaries, like Ruchell Magee 
("Cinque"), Hugo "Yogi" Pinell, E. Mondo Langa, Delbert, Merle, Phil, Janine, 
Ed, Janet, Mike, Deb and Chuck Africa, Russell "Maroon" Shoats, Leonard 
Peltier, Dr. Mutulu Shakur . . . and on and on, languish in American gulags. 

For many of them, their trials were about as "fair" as Geronimo's, with 
"witnesses" just as tainted, and "evidence" just as twisted.  So, it is true 
that Geronimo won a powerful victory.  

It is also true that Black America (and, as in Bro. Leonard's case, Native 
America) suffered, and continues to suffer, a grievous loss, until all 
political prisoners, and prisoners of war, are free.  

© 1997 Mumia Abu-Jamal 
All Rights Reserved 
© MAJ 1997