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Part 1
by Chairman Fred Hampton Jr.
Within the next few days, the United Nations will be holding “official” hearings on racism in the United States and will be hitting a myriad of cities to hear directly from the community, including Chicago, LA, New Orleans, Omaha, San Juan, Miami, D.C. and New York. The Prisoners of Conscience Committee is asking people to get the state terrorism that they or members of their community have experienced documented in the international arena. Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. interviews Chicago-based activist JR Fleming about this historic event.
Ch. Fred: Heads up, eyes open and clenched fists, this is Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. coming to you live and direct with POCC Block Report Radio. Today we will be talking to JR Fleming with the Hip Hop Congress and also the Coalition to Protect Public Housing. First I’d like to welcome you to Block Report Radio, brotha. How you feel?
JR F.: I am feeling good. All power to the people! You know our call: Free ‘em all!
Ch. Fred: No doubt about it, right on, comrade. Power to the people! Free ‘em all! Can you explain to us who and what is set to be convened throughout the country, relative to the United Nations?
JR F.: We are embarking on, like we said, a historical point in history. The United Nations is making an official visit – I put emphasis on the word “official.” They are coming here to let the United States know that they haven’t been in agreement and in accordance with the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, specifically one that encompasses the Universal Declaration and Covenance around the elimination of racism and racial discrimination. So they are sending a special man – that means he’s a head man – in the United Nations over racism to the United States for a mission, from May 19 through June 6.
Ch. Fred: Right on. Why is it important that people are made aware of these dates, and also for their participation?
JR F.: Well, it’s important because he wants to hear the voices of the people. He don’t want to hear the voice of academia, or the “lords.” He want to hear the voice of those directly affected by racism in Amerikkka and, as you know, that’s only the people of color. He wants them to address some issues, raise the issues that are of concern about American discriminatory practices when it come to housing, when it come to jails, education and health care. How they intentionally racially discriminate against people of color.
Ch. Fred: I know that you are based out of Chicago. Can you tell us about some of the work that you do? What are some of the coalition forces who will be speaking from the community and what are some of the issues in particular that you will be putting forth?
JR F.: Well, some of the issues we will be speaking on will definitely be on the juvenile detention center, housing, which is our field of expertise, and education. And we hope that we will be blessed with the honor of having you speak, on police torture and terrorism in America.
It’s a monumental time in history. It was the request of like 19 organizations around the country, asking, “Is Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. going to be speaking?” It’s the one thing they wanted to know. Y’all kicked the lid off the Burge torture case. Let’s give credit where credit is due for the work that y’all did that has come to fruition, the grind that y’all put in, fighting for the people, keeping it in the eyes of the media, having exposed these human rights abuses around police torture. And when that blew open, that opened the door for everything else to come out. So definitely they made sure to acknowledge the work that y’all did, cause y’all some of the keynote speakers.
Ch. Fred: Right on. You pointed this out initially, but can you again reiterate to us what will be different between this, as opposed to say a state sanctioned town hall meeting, which is basically provided by the state or different locales? What will be unique about this convening?
JR F.: Well, this convening has never happened before, you know? Amerikkka had this way of putting this propaganda out, telling people that ain’t nothing wrong and that ain’t no human rights abuses going on here.
But this is an official visit. This is a mandatory visit. I am looking right now at a letter directed at the mayor of Chicago, Mayor Daley. And it says that this is a mandate – it’s mandatory; this is a mandate of the United Nations. See he done already did a tour of 15 other countries already.
Now it’s Amerikkka’s turn. And what’s different is you’re going to hear the voices of the people. You don’t usually hear the voice of the people. They put puppet masters out there – puppets, buffers – to keep the voice of the people from reaching a platform like the United Nations, from reaching these people, so that they can hear the story.
What make this different is that it ain’t just Chicago. It’s Washington, D.C., New York City, Omaha, Nebraska, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
