As a young journalist Mumia Abu Jamal was exceptional. He was dedicated, accurate and fair, three attributes that have withered badly in journalism, particularly within the broadcast news industry.
As an editor at National Black Network (NBN) radio news, I worked with Mumia often. Once or twice a week he would telephone in a series of stories from Philadelphia which would air nationally on NBN.
I worked the night shift and so there was usually more time to talk, edit or simply argue with correspondents over the story process. Covering events, conferences and issues related to fairness and social justice and injustice were among Mumia’s special interests, whether in South Africa, Iran, Haiti, Washington or Philadelphia. Mumia’s beat was global before global became the fashion. He is memorable to me
most for his professionalism and desire to do his job better every day. We had lots of good and great reporters. Mumia was among our best. He was a thoroughly likeable and confident young man. In talking with him over the years that I worked with him, I knew that he loved his family.
On Dec. 7, Mumia was released from Death Row, as prosecutors abandoned their 30-year effort for his execution, but he will remain in prison. A tragedy in the lives of two families occurred when a police officer was killed on Dec. 9, 1981. Some insist that Mumia must never leave jail. To those who want to keep Mumia behind bars, I would say that he has paid a long penalty for a tragic death that he either did or did not do. A lot can be said about that day, but Mumia was never the beast that you say he is.
He remains a thoughtful and productive person. Speaking for myself, I say it is time to return Mumia Abu Jamal to his family and to freedom.
Christopher Paul Moore is an historian and journalist.
Related article: Execution Case Dropped Against Abu-Jamal, by Timothy Williams, NYTimes
Related books from General Research and Reference Division, Schomburg Center: Jailhouse Lawyers/Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. the U.S.A., Mumia Abu-Jamal, Forward by Angela Y. Davis; Faith of Our Fathers: An Examination of the Spiritual Life of African and African-American People, Mumia Abu-Jamal; All Things Censored, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Forward by Alice Walker, Edited by Noelle Hanrahan.
