Janet Africa of the MOVE 9 who is currently serving a 30-100 year sentence. These political prisoners have been incarcerated for thirty years. They are up for parole after August 8, 2007.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
The MOVE 9 completes their minimum sentence of 30 years in Aug. of 2008 and become eligible for parole. They will be interviewed by the parole board in a few months. We intend to do everything possible to insure that they are in fact paroled, so this Aug. 11th we are doing a car caravan through Philadelphia neighborhoods.
We want to inform people of the current status of The MOVE 9 and gather support to pressure the parole board to release innocent MOVE people. We want as many cars and people as possible. If you want to participate but don't have a car, it's not a problem. Some people will be walking and handing out information to people. People can also alternate between riding and distributing info, so there's something for everybody to do, with or without a car.
We will assemble at 45th & Kingsessing Ave. at 12:00pm. Join us for a day in the community and working for the release of The MOVE 9. This year's activity is more important than ever because of the upcoming parole hearings. It is not simply a commemoration of the Aug. 8, 1978 police attack on MOVE but it is the launch of our campaign for the parole of innocent MOVE people.
Join us in the fight for freedom, including yours!
ONA MOVE---
THE MOVE ORGANIZATION
Contact us at 267 408-7802
http://www.onamove.com
or at onamovellja@aol.com with any questions
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Autobiography of Political Prisoner Janet Africa of MOVE
MY NAME IS JANET AFRICA. I HAVE BEEN IN MOVE SINCE 1972. BEFORE I CAME IN MOVE I WAS LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THIS SYSTEM, LOOKING FOR A HAPPY CONTENT LIFE, STRIVING TO MAKE A COMFORTABLE LIVING CONDITION FOR MYSELF SO I COULD HAVE A GOOD LIFE.
DESPITE THE YEARS OF ME ATTEMPTING TO DO THE THINGS SYSTEMATICALLY REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE THIS KIND OF LIFE, LIVING ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO AFFORD ME SOME MEASURE OF SATISFACTION, I NEVER REACHED THAT MEASURE OF SATISFACTION FROM THIS SYSTEM.
I WAS BORN IN 1951 IN NEW JERSEY. MY MOTHER WAS SINGLE. SHE WAS THE SECOND CHILD OF 20. BOTH MY GRANDPARENTS HAD TO WORK HARD TO SUPPORT A FAMILY THAT SIZE, SO BEING THE OLDEST GIRL, THE BURDEN OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR RAISING HER MOTHER'S CHILDREN FELL ON HER - AFTER I WAS BORN MY MOTHER GAVE ME TO MY AUNT TO RAISE SO I COULD HAVE A "BETTER LIFE" THEN SHE COULD GIVE ME, AND NOT HAVE TO GROW UP IN THE COLD STREETS OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY WHERE SHE LIVED.
I GREW UP LIVING WITH MY AUNT GETTING PRETTY MUCH WHATEVER I WANTED. WE HAD A NICE HOUSE, SWIMMING POOL IN THE BACKYARD, MY AUNT SENT ME TO DANCING SCHOOL FOR DANCING LESSONS: TAP, BALLET, AMD MODERN JAZZ. I WAS INVOLVED IN SPORTS, WON MEDALS, RIBBONS AND TROPHIES IN OUR TOWN COMMERCE OLYMPICS DURING MY ELEMENTARY YEARS. THINGS CAME PRETTY EASY FOR ME. WHEN I WAS 11, IN THE 6TH GRADE, MY MOTHER GOT HER LIFE TOGETHER AND WAS ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF ME AND GIVE ME THE KIND OF LIFE SHE WANTED TO GIVE ME. I SPENT THE NEXT 6 YEARS LIVING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MY MOTHER AND AUNT. MY MOTHER FELT GUILTY ABOUT HAVING TO GIVE ME UP WHEN I WAS A BABY SO SHE TRIED HARD TO MAKE UP FOR IT. SHE GAVE ME ALL KINDS OF THINGS. I WAS WELL FED, HAD NICE CLOTHES, WENT TO GOOD SCHOOLS, HAD NICE FRIENDS WITH GOOD PARENTS, PRETTY MUCH THE NORMAL UP BRINGING.
AT 15 I GOT A JOB, THIS WAS TO TEACH ME HOW TO BE RESPONSIBLE AND RELIABLE AND REALIZE I HAD TO PAY MY OWN WAY THROUGH LIFE. AFTER I GOT MY DRIVER'S LICENSE, MY MOTHER BOUGHT ME A CAR. I GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL, I HAD TO ME TUTORED MY LAST YEAR BECAUSE I HAD A ULCERATED STOMACH. I WENT TO PROMS, WENT ON DATES, I LIVED THE TYPICAL BLACK, NEW JERSEY, SUBURBAN LIFE, BUT I STILL WASN'T HAPPY, AND I WASN'T CONTENT.
I ALWAYS FELT THERE WAS SOMETHING MISSING IN MY LIFE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS AND COULDN'T EXPLAIN IT BUT INSIDE OF ME THERE WAS ALWAYS THIS EMPTY FEELING EVEN WHEN I WAS WITH PEOPLE I WAS CLOSE TO, I STILL, SEEP DOWN INSIDE FELT LIKE I WAS ALONE, THAT I DIDN'T REALLY FIT AND I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT. IN MY MIND I WAS SAYING THERE MUST BE SOMETHING WRONG WITH ME, CAUSE NOBODY ELSE WAS FEELING LIKE THAT, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO SO I JUST WENT THROUGH THE MOTIONS.
AS I GOT OLDER, I STARTED GOING FROM JOB TO JOB, LOOKING FOR THE "RIGHT" JOB BUT NEVER SEEMING TO FIND IT. I MOVED FREQUENTLY LOOKING TO FIND A COMFORTABLE PLACE WHERE I FELT SETTLED AND SECURE, I NEVER FOUND THAT EITHER. IN 1970, I MOVED TO PHILADELPHIA, GOT A JOB, MET A MAN, HAD AN AVERAGE TYPE RELATIONSHIP, GOT PREGNANT AND HAD A BEAUTIFUL BABY GIRL. WE BOUGHT A HOUSE IN WEST PHILLY AND TRIED TO MAKE THINGS WORK.
I REMEMBER SITTING IN MY ROCKING CHAIR WITH MY NEW BORN BABY IN MY ARMS FEELING THE SAME WAY MY MOTHER FELT, WANTING SOMETHING BETTER FOR MY DAUGHTER, WANTING HER TO BE SAFE, HAPPY, FREE OF THE HURT, PAIN, DISAPPOINTMENT AND DISILLUSION OF THIS COLD, CRUEL, PREJUDICE SYSTEM.
I DID THE ONLY THING I KNEW TO DO, I PRAYED FOR GUIDANCE, DIRECTION, FOR SOMETHING TO GIVE MY DAUGHTER SO SHE COULD HAVE A GOOD LIFE. I GOT INTO RELIGION, WHEN I SAW THE UNGODLY BEHAVIOR, THE UNCLEAN CONDUCT OF THOSE PEOPLE CALLING THEMSELVES VESSELS OF GOD, PEOPLE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE CHANNELING ME TO RIGHTEOUSNESS, THAT LEFT ME NUMB, DEVASTATED AND HOPELESS BECAUSE I FELT THERE WAS NO WHERE ELSE LEFT FOR ME TO TURN, I WAS GETTING READY TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, I HAD BECOME SO CALLOUS AND MISTRUSTING OF EVERYTHING THAT SOCIETY CLAIMED TO ME MORAL, I KEPT SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING BUT I WASN'T AS VULNERABLE OR AS EASILY ACCEPTING LIKE I'D BEEN BEFORE BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO GET BURNT AGAIN, WASN'T GOING TO PUT MYSELF IN A POSITION TO BE DECEIVED, MISLEAD AND HURT LIKE I DID BEFORE.
ONE DAY I HEARD ABOUT MOVE BY WORD OF MOUTH, AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER. I WAS APPROACHED BY AN ACQUAINTANCE AND ASKED WOULD I LIKE TO ATTEND A MEETING, A RAP SESSION MOVE WAS HAVING, TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF THE WORLD. I ATTENDED, MOVE GUIDELINES, JOHN AFRICA'S TEACHING WAS READ, THE INFORMATION WAS SO CLEAR, ANALYTICAL AND ABSOLUTE IT TOOK ME OUT. NOT ONLY WAS IT BREAKING DOWN THIS ENTIRE REFORM WORLD SYSTEM BUT DESCRIPTIVELY EXPLAINING THINGS SO PLAIN AND CLEAR, WHEN I HEARD IT IT WAS SO UNDERSTANDABLE, SO RIGHT. IT MADE ME FEEL FAMILIAR AND CONNECTED TO IT. I CAN'T EVEN PUT INTO WORDS THE FEELING I GOT HEARING JOHN AFRICA'S TEACHING, IT GRIPPED ME IN A WAY THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN GRIPPED BEFORE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I FELT LIKE THERE WAS HOPE FOR ME, AND THERE WAS REASONS WHY I WAS SO DETACHED, DISSATISFIED AND UNHAPPY.
I WENT TO STUDY SESSIONS REGULARLY AND STARTED INCORPORATING JOHN AFRICA'S TEACHING INTO MY LIFE, IT CLEARED AWAY SO MUCH CONFUSION I HAD BEEN CARRYING, MY MIND STARTED UNTWISTING MY THOUGHTS BECAME CLEAR. THIS REFERENCE WAS SO CLEAR IT PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH MY INSTINCTS.
THANKS TO JOHN AFRICA I'M TRULY SATISFIED, SECURE AND HAVE THE LIFE I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR. I AM STRONG, LOYAL, HEALTHY, AND COMMITTED TO FIGHT FOR ALL OF LIFE. I WOULDN'T TRADE THAT FOR NOTHING. I CAN TRULY SAY THAT JOHN AFRICA AND GAVE ME MY LIFE BACK THAT THIS SYSTEM TOOK FROM ME.
I AM A STUDENT OF JOHN AFRICA AND I'VE BEEN TAUGHT THAT THE EXAMPLE OF CLEAN, RIGHTEOUSNESS CAN NOT BE FOUND IN THIS REFORM WORLD SYSTEM AND THIS IS PROVEN IN THE FILTH OF THIS SYSTEM'S ENTIRE HISTORY THIS IS WHAT MOVE IS NOW WORKING TO RID OURSELVES FROM, AND TEACHING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. JOHN AFRICA HAVE THE DIRECTION TO DIRECT PEOPLE AWAY FROM MAN'S REFORM WORLD SYSTEM TO NATURE, GOD, THE PERFECT SYSTEM.
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!
ONA MOVE
JANET AFRICA
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