Today’s Good News: Angola Prisoners 1, System 0
You may have heard yesterday about 2 prisoners in Angola, LA being moved out of solitary confinement after 35 years. As usual, this victory has a long backstory including the efforts of many, and hopefully, it will lead to the men’s release soon.
Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox arrived at Angola prison, long noted for its brutality and racism, in the late 60’s. They set about organizing a Black Panther chapter and trying to prevent rapes. For their efforts, they were rewarded by being framed for the death of a prison guard and placed in solitary (along with a third man whose conviction was later overturned).
Amnesty International, the ACLU, and Anita Roddick, among others, have been working for justice for these men for a long time. Finally John Conyers came to visit them recently, and suddenly the prison finds it needs to re-organize the way it’s using space, and the men are moved into a dorm with other prisoners. For the first time, mainstream news outlets including NPR and NBC News covered the story this week.
To learn more and take action to pressure the authorities to release the prisoners, go to Color of Change here.
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