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August 2004 Gathered together the evening of August 5
were the
most politically conscious brothers in the compound - who fast, study
and push
themselves physically to honor those who've made significant sacrifices
on the
road to Black Liberation. Black August.
The event was within hours of my release and I was asked to speak. What
words
might there be from one who’s done two decades in the gulag by way of
Marion
and ADX? Big Black had died days earlier
so I began by saying there can be no talk of Black August without we
honor and
carry forward the sprit of Frank Big Black Smith. The brother
epitomized the
strength and courage that ran through the Brothers asked me what advice I might
share with them
after 20 years of box car cells, the Marion shuffle, holes in every
joint I
been in, etc. I know what worked for me, but one size does not fit all.
I
shared the bedrock of it. You must keep the faith. Have faith in the
Creator
and the Circle of Life. Keep faith in your
family - however way your family is defined. Keep faith in yourself.
Don’t Iet
your spirit be devoured by cynicism. And
try to keep your strength and conditioning at a high level. The
following
morning Mutulu and me broke bread together shortly before I left -
leaving him
being the most painful part of moving on. A few hours later I walked out from behind
forty foot
walls - unshackled for the first time in 20 years. A dozen steps and I
was in
my sweet woman’s arms. She who had never lost faith in me. Before
sunset we
were a thousand miles away. At a family reunion several weeks later
were gathered
the youngest-- great granddaughter (2) to the oldest great
grandmother (83) -
and the released captive - the first time ever we’d all been together
in the
same place, same time. An old friend not seen in 30 years said
seeing me
unexpectedly freed on the evening news was like watching someone rise
from the
dead. I prefer to think of it as an
affirmation
of Life. A testament that political
prisoners can and will be treed. I told Mutulu his day will also come.
Keep faith.
Death is part of Iife and we’ve lost
good
comrades - Zayd, Mtyari, Nuh, Merle. And
we've also seen brothers and sisters released. Rafael,
Lolita, Geronimo, Dhoruba, Alicia,
Laura - all unbroken spirits who kept
their essential humanity and passion to break the chains of oppression.
Take
heart with my release. There are those
who opposed my excarceration and wished me dead in prison but I
prevailed. I came home. I
believe that all our political prisoners are
coming home. I believe so because I believe in the righteousness of our
cause
and that struggle brings results. Keep
hauling up the morning – it’s the best way to live. Ray Luc Lavasseur |