Members of Let’s Get Free supported last Saturday’s benefit for the Abolitionist Law Center. It was a night of poetry, song, hip-hop, fellowship and prison abolition at the Bricolage Theatre in downtown Pittsburgh.
If you didn’t get a chance to go consider making a donation. The ALC is representing Charmaine and we support all their amazing efforts!The Abolitionist Law Center is a public interest law firm inspired by the struggle of political and politicized prisoners, and organized for the purpose of abolishing class and race based mass incarceration in the United States. – http://abolitionistlawcenter.org/
Performers included:
Joy KMT – self-taught&queer&black&femme&hood&poet&mother&lover&. She works from the possibility of the personal to be collectively transformational. Her work often blends the magical with the reality of living at the crossroads of multiplicities. Website: http://joykmt.com/ Joy read the following article which you can read on the website Black Girl Dangerous.
Dange
r, Discrimination, Heartache, and Triumph: Being a Black Mother
Blak Rapp Madusa – Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Mel Carter also known as Blak Rapp Madusa emerges from the ghetto streets of Pennsylvania, taking the conscious music movement by storm. Through melodic lyricism this rapper/activist/poet paints a vivid picture of the black experience in America, the black nationalist movement, social and political justice ideologies interwoven with the spiritual inspiration of Islam. This artist is on a mission for change by spreading a positive message and a call to action for all oppressed people. Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/blakrappmadusa
Jacquea Mae – an amazing singer, actress,and spoken word artist that has graced the mic at several open mic events, theatrical productions, & has featured as a singer at many venues throughout the city of Pgh,PA. Ms. Mae continues to receive rave reviews for her powerful, often passionate, free, uninhibited, soulful, from the gut performances. Website: http://www.reverbnation.com/jacqueamae4
BeLove Sanaa – musician, singer, songwriter https://www.facebook.com/be.love.90
SPEAKERS included:
Terrell Johnson & Saundra Cole – After being framed for a murder he did not commit in 1994 in the Hazelwood murder of Pittsburgh, Terrell Johnson and his wife Saundra Cole set out on a mission to free him. In 2012 he was released from 17 years in prison after being acquitted at a retrial.
Donna Hill – President of Fight for Lifers West and mother of Charmaine Pfender, an Abolitionist Law Center client who has spent 29 years in prison for killing a man who was attempting to rape her. Self-defense is not a crime!
Jasmine Gonzales-Rose – Critical Race scholar, University of Pitt Law Professor, and Abolitionist Law Center board member
Russell Shoatz III – son of political prisoner/prisoner of war, and Abolitionist Law Center client, Russell Maroon Shoatz
Bret Grote – Co-founder and executive director of the Abolitionist Law Center
One of the children pulled the fire alarm and we couldn’t figure out how to stop it even with the firefighters help. Russell and Black Rapp Madusa finished up the event in the ally alongside of the theatre. So fun! Thanks to Bee McBryde and all the HRC-FedUP crew for helping out with this great event!
