Angola 3 News: 2019

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

A3 Newsletter: Zulu Whitmore, National Book Awards, Smithsonian Scholars, upcoming events and more

A3 IN THE NEWS: New Orleans Public Radio interviews Robert King II Albert Woodfox at the University of Chicago II NPR Illinois interviews Albert and others at National Book Awards event II Reading Albert Woodfox's Solitary While Being Detained at Guantanamo

(PHOTO: Albert Woodfox and Robert King join other supporters of Kenny "Zulu" Whitmore at Zulu's court hearing in Baton Rouge on Nov. 25. Many of the supporters are Zulu's family members, who traveled from outside of the state. Read more about this inspiring day below. Click on photo for a larger image.)

A3 Newsletter, December 3, 2019: Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020

Winding up a wild year of non-stop, back-to-back events, Albert will be heading to the Making and Unmaking Mass Incarceration Conference in Oxford, Mississippi on Wednesday (see flyer below) and then on to San Francisco where he will be a special guest at the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Conference on Saturday, December 7.

Above, we have compiled several new interviews with Albert and Robert and a great photo of them with a large group of supporters at Zulu's hearing on November 25th.

Looks like the beat will go on in 2020. Albert and King are starting out the new year heading to San Francisco for the de Young Museum "Soul of the Nation" exhibit's free public panel discussion on January 11, in conversation with artist and longtime A3 supporter Rigo 23, discussing how art and artists helped create the visibility for the Angola 3 case.

Wishing all Angola 3 supporters the very best over the holidays and we are all hoping for a much, much better New Year!!

(FLYER: Albert Woodfox will be a Keynote Speaker at the Making and Unmaking Mass Incarceration Conference, being held at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi on December 4-6, 2019. Other keynote speakers include Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Robin D.G. Kelley.)

A3 Newsletter: NOLA event with Robert King and Albert Woodfox this Saturday

A3 Newsletter, October 11, 2019:
Honoring Herman Wallace

Herman Wallace died a free man in October of 2013 in spite of all the best efforts of the state of Louisiana to keep him incarcerated till his death.

The efforts the state took to to re-incarcerate Herman were so extreme that they actually helped make it possible for Albert to be released three years later.

Herman was without a doubt, the one member of the Angola 3 who had the widest reach in his correspondence and in the projects he inspired, initiated and obsessed over. His letters were frequently the catalyst that added new supporters to his list.

His indestructible, energetic, good humor and ceaseless organizing for the Angola 3 are missed. Hermanʻs spirit and forceful nature moved mountains in the effort to eliminate solitary. As you will see from the rest of this newsletter, his spirit lives on through the efforts of others today.

A3 Newsletter: Zulu Whitmore Court Date and more

(PHOTO: Albert's book tour takes him to Wales for the Hay Festival, where he is shown onstage with Sarfraz Manzoor.)

A3 Newsletter, July 18, 2019:
Summer Update

With summer half over, we want to share with you some of the activity going on around Angola 3 and news in general of A3 supporters and comrades.

Robert has been laying low the last few months, working on his own projects but he's got quite a few things scheduled once September rolls around. We'll keep you posted.

Albert traveled to England for an Amnesty International event in London (shown in the photo above) and to Wales for the Hay Festival where he spoke alongside Sarfraz Manzoor. While in the UK, Albert was interviewed by the BBC's "Hard Talk" radio show and for the Channel 4 show "Ways to Change the World" (also watch the Channel 4 interview at Albert's home in New Orleans, which aired in May).

At the end of June, Albert traveled to the meet with the Board of Directors of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in Washington D.C.and two weeks later in July, he participated in the LDF's 40th Annual Capital Punishment Training Conference in Tarrytown, New York.

Albert was also involved in the press conference held at Loyola University announcing the release of a study on the use of solitary confinement in Louisiana, a collaboration between VOTE, the ACLU of Louisiana, Solitary Watch, the Jesuit Social Research Institute / Loyola University New Orleans and the new Louisiana Stop Solitary Coalition. The wide range of news coverage included: The Advocate, The Advocate's Gambit, and the San Francisco Chronicle / Associated Press.

August is looking pretty quiet for both guys - time for them to spend with family and friends in between staying ever active in their efforts to spread the word about solitary confinement, prison conditions as a whole and the state of justice in America.

We hope you'll take a look at the awards and accolades that Angela A. Allen-Bell, an A3 supporter and Professor at Southern University Law Center has been receiving. We are thrilled to see that Prof. Bell's groundbreaking work is getting her the credit that she deserves.

We are sad to say that Kenny "Zulu" Whitmore's anticipated court date this month has been postponed. You can read the statement issued by Zulu's supporters in the section below.

Albert's Book Tour and Zulu Whitmore Update

(PHOTO: Albert Woodfox book event at the New Orleans Public Library. Photo by New Orleans Innocence Project.)

A3 Newsletter, April 29, 2019:
Ending Solitary One Book Signing at a Time

Solitary is now in its second printing! Albert has hardly had a minute to rest and the tour continues!

Early May finds him heading west for a book signing at Eso Wan books in Los Angeles, then north to Berkeley for two events at the Bay Area Book Festival, then on to Sacramento to join Angola 3 supporters, BJ and Gail at Underground Books.

After a scant week at home, he'll be heading to Miami to participate in a federal defenders conference and will do a book signing at Books and Books in Coral Gables in advance.

Returning from Florida, after a week at home, Albert will be heading to England to take part in the Hay Book Festival. Summer slows down a little but there will be a trip to Australia in August. Much more to come, but these are enough details for now. We hope that all of the many Angola 3 supporters across the country will be able to join Albert as he blows through their town.

We also hope you'll read through to the section on Kenny "Zulu" Whitmore--another case of total injustice.

Albert Woodfox's Book Released Today: "Solitary: Unbroken by four decades in solitary confinement. My story of transformation and hope."

MORE COVERAGE: Africa Today II The Australian II Vox II Australia Broadcast Corporation II NY Times Sunday Book Review II Democracy Now! (parts one and two) II WHYY Radio Times II Atlanta Journal-Constitution II New Orleans Times-Picayune II Storm Lake Times (Iowa) II New Orleans Advocate II By Any Means Necessary Radio Show II 89.9 WWNO New Orleans Public Radio II Washington Post / Associated Press

(To learn more about Solitary, including the latest information about Albert's book tour, please visit the publisher's website. The top of the publisher's website features links to several different booksellers from whom you can purchase Albert's book, including Indie Bound, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.)

Today, Albert Woodfox's autobiography hit the news-stands and went on sale around the world. The release of Solitary: Unbroken by four decades in solitary confinement. My story of transformation and hope, has been marked by significant news coverage.

National Public Radio featured both an interview with Albert and a separate book review entitled "In 'Solitary,' Determination And Humanity Win Over Injustice." The Guardian reprinted a lengthy excerpt from Solitary, where "The former Black Panther and member of the Angola 3 reflects on how he turned his cell from a place of confinement to a space for personal growth."

The New York Times' review described it as an "uncommonly powerful memoir," concluding that "if the ending of this book does not leave you with tears pooling down in your clavicles, you are a stronger person than I am. More lasting is Woodfox’s conviction that the American justice system is in dire need of reform."

Solitary's release was also cited today by the Religion News Service in an article about a virtual reality tour against solitary confinement that was presented by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, an organization that supported the campaign for Albert's release.

The Book Tour Begins

On Saturday, March 2, Albert began his book tour in Arizona at the Tucson Festival of Books. His next appearance will be on March 20 at the New Orleans Public Library. Information for March 20 and other dates is featured directly below (find the latest book tour updates Solitary's website):

A3 Newsletter: So Much to Celebrate

(PHOTO: Guests of King and Kenyatta's home-warming last month. From left to right, General Rico, Deidre, Donna, Robert, Angela, Albert, Gwendolyn and Malik.)

A3 Newsletter: So Much to Celebrate

Happy Anniversary!

At long, long, long last...

From 1998 to 2016, we sent a newsletter annually commemorating another year that King, Herman and Albert remained in prison. It is such a great joy to be able to commemorate their freedom.

Today is the anniversary of Albert's 2016 release (shown in the photo above as he drove away from the prison gates). This is Albert's third year out here in the so called free world...the third year he can see the sky, go where he wants to go and do what he wants to do. After 44 years it seems like a miracle every time we talk on the phone or we book another trip to Europe or elsewhere for him to give a presentation. We're so excited to share the news of Albert's long awaited book, Solitary, which will be released on March 5 by Grove Atlantic Press. The book tour schedule is featured below and you can visit the Grove Atlantic website for more information.

The top of the publisher's website features links to several different booksellers from whom you can purchase Albert's book, including Indie Bound, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

This month also marked the 18th anniversary of Robert King's Feb. 8, 2001 release from Angola (shown in the photo above). True to his word when he was released, King has been free of Angola, but Angola and all prisons will never be free of his critical efforts. King and his partner Kenyatta presided over a rousing home-warming last month. See the photo at the top of the page!

To cap all this off, Malik Rahim's special awards evening occurred last month as well and we're happy to share some of the accolades and images from this memorable event that honored one of the founders of the Angola 3 effort.

--For more on the three year anniversary of Albert's release, visit the compilation of news articles from three years ago today, as well as the many interviews with Albert in the days that followed. If you have not yet done so, also be sure to watch our interview with Albert conducted in May, 2016, just a few months after his release.

A3 Newsletter: An Invitation from King and Kenyatta

A3 Newsletter:
An Invitation from King and Kenyatta

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Robert King left New Orleans and settled in Austin, Texas. After more than a decade of living in Austin, King and his partner, Kenyatta have returned to Louisiana and they want to share their new home and their new life with the many Angola 3 supporters and comrades fighting for social justice, next weekend in their home in Westwego.

They'll be hosting a homecoming home warming on Sunday, January 27th from 2PM on. Contact Robert at if you need the address or directions and join them in their celebration.

Angola 3 Basics

(Download a flyer version of this fact sheet here.)

In 1972, deep in rural Louisiana, three young black men were silenced for trying to expose continued segregation, systematic corruption, and horrific abuse in the biggest prison in the US, an 18,000 acre former slave plantation called Angola.

Peaceful, non-violent protest in the form of hunger and work strikes organized by inmates caught the attention of Louisiana’s elected leaders and local media in the early 1970s. They soon called for investigations into a host of unconstitutional and extraordinarily inhumane practices commonplace in what was then the “bloodiest prison in the South.” Eager to put an end to outside scrutiny, prison officials began punishing inmates they saw as troublemakers.

At the height of this unprecedented institutional chaos, Herman Wallace, Albert Woodfox, and Robert King were charged with murders they did not commit and thrown into 6x9 foot solitary cells where they remained for decades.

Their struggle for justice continued until Robert was released in 2001, Herman in 2013, and Albert in 2016.

Despite a number of reforms achieved in the mid-70s, many officials repeatedly ignored both evidence of misconduct, and of innocence.

The State’s case was riddled with inconsistencies, obfuscations, and missteps. A bloody print at the murder scene did not match Herman, Albert or anyone charged with the crime and was never compared with the limited number of other prisoners who had access to the dormitory on the day of the murder. In 2008, NPR asked Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell why the state refused to test the print. "A fingerprint can come from anywhere," Caldwell explained. "We're not going to be fooled by that."

Potentially exculpatory DNA evidence was “lost” by prison officials—including fingernail scrapings from the victim and barely visible “specks” of blood on clothing alleged to have been worn by Albert.

Both Herman and Albert had multiple alibi witnesses with nothing to gain who testified they were far away from the scene when the murder occurred.

In contrast, several State witnesses lied under oath about rewards for their testimony. The prosecution’s star witness Hezekiah Brown told the jury: “Nobody promised me nothing.” But new evidence showed Hezekiah, a convicted serial rapist serving life, agreed to testify only in exchange for a pardon, a weekly carton of cigarettes, TV, birthday cakes, and other luxuries.

“Hezekiah was one you could put words in his mouth,” the Warden reminisced chillingly in an interview about the case years later.

Notably, Teenie Rogers, the widow of the victim, prison guard Brent Miller, after reviewing the evidence believed Herman and Albert’s trials were unfair, expressed grave doubts about their guilt, and called upon officials to find the real killer. "“Each time I look at the evidence in this case, I remember there is no proof that the men charged with Brent’s death are the ones who actually killed him. It’s easy to get caught up in vengeance and anger, but when I look at the facts, they just do not add up,” said Rogers in 2013.

Herman’s conviction was finally overturned in October 2013 by a Federal Judge. Although his trial was riddled with evidence of prosecutorial misconduct and other constitutional violations, it was the systematic exclusion of women from his jury in violation of the 14th Amendment that freed him. Unfortunately he was released in the late stages of advanced liver cancer and only experienced 3 days of freedom. Sadly for Herman, justice delayed was justice denied.

Albert’s conviction was overturned three times by judges citing racial discrimination, prosecutorial misconduct, inadequate defense, and suppression of exculpatory evidence. While the case worked its way through endless appeals, Louisiana officials refused to release Albert from solitary, even when no longer convicted of the crime, because “there’s been no rehabilitation” from “practicing Black Pantherism.”4

In June 2015, a Federal Judge courageously ordered Albert's immediate release and barred a retrial stressing the “Court's lack of confidence in the State to provide a fair third trial." This extraordinary remedy was also frozen pending yet another series of appeals.

Finally, Albert was released in February of 2016, 43 years and 10 months after first being put in isolation for a crime he didn’t commit.

Louisiana today has the highest incarceration rate in the US—thus the highest in the world.

Three-fourths of the 5,000+ prisoners at Angola are African American. And due to some of the harshest sentencing practices in the nation, 97% will die there.

Reminiscent of a bygone era, inmates still harvest cotton, corn and wheat for 4 to 20 cents an hour under the watchful eye of armed guards on horseback.

We believe that only by openly examining the failures and inequities of the criminal justice system in America can we restore integrity to that system.

We must not wait.

We can make a difference.

As the A3 did years before, now is the time to challenge injustice and demand that the innocent and wrongfully incarcerated be freed.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

In 2000, Herman, Albert and Robert filed a civil lawsuit challenging the inhumane and increasingly pervasive practice of long-term solitary confinement. Magistrate Judge Dalby described their decades of isolation as “so far beyond the pale” she could not find “anything even remotely comparable in the annals of American jurisprudence.” Over the course of 16 years, this seminal case detailed unconstitutionally cruel and unusual treatment and systematic due process violations at the hands of Louisiana officials and inspired worldwide action to end long term solitary.