Mumia Abu-Jamal

Lore & Background

Mumia Abu-Jamal was born Wesley Cook in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he grew up with a younger brother named William. At age 14 in 1968, he became involved with the Black Panther Party after suffering a beating from white racists and a policeman for trying to disrupt a rally for George Wallace. He helped form the Philadelphia branch of the Black Panther Party and served as its Lieutenant of Information until leaving the party in October 1970. After leaving, he completed his high school education and later became a radio reporter, eventually serving as president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists from 1978 to 1980. He supported the MOVE organization and covered the 1978 confrontation in which one police officer was killed.

In December 1981, while working as a taxicab driver, Abu-Jamal observed a traffic stop involving his brother William Cook and officer Daniel Faulkner. Faulkner was shot in the back and face; Abu-Jamal was shot in the stomach. Police arrested Abu-Jamal at the scene, finding a revolver with five spent cartridges beside him. At trial, the prosecution presented witnesses who identified Abu-Jamal as the shooter, and two witnesses testified that he said in the hospital, 'I shot the motherfucker, and I hope the motherfucker dies.' He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death.

Reader's Guide

Since 1982, the murder trial of Mumia Abu-Jamal has been seriously criticized for constitutional failings; some have claimed that he is innocent, and many opposed his death sentence. The Faulkner family, politicians, and other groups involved with law enforcement, state and city governments argue that Abu-Jamal's trial was fair, his guilt beyond question, and his death sentence justified. When his death sentence was overturned by a federal court in 2001, he was described as 'perhaps the world's best-known death-row inmate' by The New York Times. During his imprisonment, Abu-Jamal has published books and commentaries on social and political issues; his first book was Live from Death Row (1995). His case remains a focal point of debates about race, the death penalty, and the criminal justice system in the United States.

Did You Know?

• Abu-Jamal was a member of the Black Panther Party from May 1969 until October 1970.
• He served as president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists from 1978 to 1980.
• His death sentence was overturned by a federal court in 2001.
• He adopted the surname Abu-Jamal after the birth of his first child, son Jamal, on July 18, 1971.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"Mumia Abu-Jamal (born April 24, 1954) is a former Black Panther activist, convicted murderer, and journalist on death row in the United States." — Mumia Abu-Jamal "The state would rather give me an uzi than a microphone." — Mumia Abu-Jamal "The role of television is the illusion of company, noise. I call it the fifth wall and the second window: the window of illusion." — Mumia Abu-Jamal "Politics is the art of making the people believe that they are in power, when in fact, they have none." — Mumia Abu-Jamal