From Democracy Now! this morning a headline read:
Federal Court Orders Release of Angola 3’s Albert Woodfox for 3rd Time
A federal judge has once again ordered the state of Louisiana to release Albert Woodfox, a former Black Panther who has spent more than 40 years in solitary confinement. Woodfox and another prisoner of the "Angola Three" were convicted of murdering a guard at Angola Prison. The Angola Three and their supporters say they were framed for their political activism. On Tuesday, the same federal judge that ordered Woodfox’s release in 2008 again ruled Woodfox should be set free on the basis of racial discrimination in his retrial. It was the third time Woodfox’s conviction has been overturned, but prosecutors successfully reversed the two previous victories. The state is expected to appeal once again to keep Woodfox behind bars.
Why does Louisiana want to keep Mr. Woodfox in solitary confinement?
This is not the first or even second time his conviction has been called into question based on racial discrimination. This piece is more than two years old, but speaks to what's been going on in recent years regarding critical examination of Mr. Woodfox being help behind bars:
http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2010/06/albert-woodfox-angola-3
These pieces will also fill you in on the struggle:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/cases/usa-the-angola-3
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/04/angola-prison-3-herman-wallace-albert-woodfox-40-years-solitary-confinement
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/08/albert-woodfox-herman-wallace_n_873111.html
There are many other sources to educate yourself on the subject, so when the next person asks you why you care about defeating racism when "all men are created equal" you can act in solidarity with movements that are truly anti-racist and seek to eliminate this socially constructed form of oppression.
