This Friday

FRIDAY July 29, 7pm at Revolution Books - A film showing of

FBI'S WAR ON BLACK AMERICA

Directed and Produced by

Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller

Suggested $10 donation earmarked to send copies of Basics, from the talks and writing of Bob Avakian to prisoners across the US through Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund.

FBI's War on Black America is an eye- opening documentary expose directed by Deb Ellis and Denis Mueller (directors of Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train) featuring exclusive interviews and rare footage of Geronimo Pratt, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, Stokley Charmichael, Huey P. Newton, Eldridge Cleaver and Kathleen Cleaver, among many others.

This illuminating and compelling 1989 expose' chronicles the government's covert program of violence against Black radical leaders and organizations during a period of social upheaval and racial conflict in America. In the 1960s, the rulers of this country felt their system and their interests threatened and the US government never hesitated to use extreme violence against a wide array of political opponents. On the 20th plus anniversary of the original release of the film, FBI's War on Black America offers a historical perspective absolutely critical today.

"History tells us that whoever is in the White House, the secret arms of government are always at work, carrying on their deadly practices of surveillance and worse. The film, 'FBI's War on Black America' by Denis Mueller and Deb Ellis is therefore important as a warning and as a call for all of us to be watchful in defending our freedoms..." Howard Zinn

Pelican Bay Hunger Strike Into Third Week  Outpouring of Support Needed Now!  Prisoners at the Security Housing Unit (SHU) at Pelican Bay State Prison have been on a hunger strike since July 1-demanding an end to what amounts to torture and brutally inhumane conditions. The weekend of July 2-3, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reported that 6,600 prisoners, in 13 different prisons, refused food in solidarity with the strike. And there has been growing support on the outside from people who are demanding that the CDCR meet the prisoners' demands.  The 13th day of the strike, alarming, urgent reports started coming out that the medical condition of some of the prisoners was at a severe crisis. (Read full text of The Humanity and Courage of the Prisoners...And the Moral Responsibility to Support Their Demands .)   Revolution newspaper is posting daily updated coverage on the prisoners' struggle: click here. Send out this link to everyone you know.

Statements from Prominent People in Support of Prison Hunger Strikers Updated 10:00 pm July 19 At the July 14 emergency meeting at Revolution Books in New York City on the Pelican Bay hunger strike, participants discussed the need to heighten awareness and support for the hunger strike among people on the outside to a new level - as part of forcing prison officials to meet the prisoners' demands. One idea that came up was to contact prominent people, calling on them to write support statements and use their voice to spread the word. A letter was quickly written and sent out the next day. The following are initial statements written in response. More statements are urgently needed from other artists, public intellectuals, and prominent voices of conscience and should be sent to revbooksnyc@yahoo.com. Susan Sarandon Cornel West Mark Ruffalo Gloria Steinem Nawal El Saadawi David Strathairn Edward Asner Richard Falk Kathleen Chalfant Henry Chalfant Carl Dix Kia Corthron Katha PollittCynthia McKinney Harry Lennix Candace Gorman Garrett Wright Saskia Sassen Sam Hamill Father Luis Barrios Michael Steven Smith Kevin Zeese Margaret Flowers Jay Wenk Eleanor J. Bader Joyce Kozloff Michel Chossudovsky John Hutnyk William Parker Jessica BlankAnnie Laurie Gaylor reg e. gaines Larry Pinkney Fr. Bob Bossie Boyce D. Watkins Frances Goldin Mike Ferner Kathleen Barry Cindy Sheehan Miriam Cooke Shahrzad Mojab Shepard Fairey Nancy Vining Van Ness Ron Jacobs Suzanne Oboler Dennis Loo Bertell OllmanArin Arbus Boots Riley Fatemeh Keshavarz Ayelet Waldman

VOLUNTEERS URGENTLY NEEDED   -- Support of prisoners on hunger strike at Pelican Bay & other California prisons: come by Revolution Books to share your ideas or pick up copies of Revolution newspaper; help spread Revolution's coverage online; work with us at the store or from home to do outreach to solicit statements of support, contact media with news of the hunger strike, or help organize local protests.   -- Work with the Revolution Books book table at the Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed conference (July 20-23) where 300 educators, artists and activists will be talking about enabling people to think critically and and confront injustice. We will be doing the general bookselling for the conference, getting out BAsics, and organizing support for the hunger strike.  -- Help mail out Revolution newspaper subscriptions to prisoners this Monday July 25 from 3-7pm (and every Monday a new issue is published).      Contact us at 773.489.0930, email us, or come by the store.