Former Black Panther and political prisoner, Herman Wallace of the Angola 3 was buried yesterday. His funeral coincidently took place one week before the 47th anniversary of the Black Panther Party. There is no doubt his legacy, his death, the plight of political prisoners and the torture behind solitary confinement will cast a shadow and be addressed at the Panther Reunion (Oct 17-19) at the Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa..Get more info on that HERE.
With respect to Wallace’s funeral KPFA News Reporter Ann Garrison covered it and spoke with Angola 3 member Robert King who is now free.. (Albert Woodfox is still locked up ) and Malik Rahim former Black Panther and founder of Common ground Collective in New Orleans.
Here’s what Ann wrote and her conversation:
Friends and supporters of Herman Wallace held a memorial service and buried him in New Orleans, the city where he was born, on Saturday, October 12th. Wallace was one of the Angola 3 who were convicted of killing a guard at Angola State Prison in 1972.
They have always maintained their innocence and said that they were actually convicted for organizing a chapter of the Black Panther Party in Angola Prison, to push for an end to brutal and inhumane prison conditions.
Robert King was held in solitary confinement for 29 years before his conviction was overturned and he was released; Herman Wallace was held in solitary for 41 years, as was Albert Woodfox, who remains in solitary confinement.
Wallace was released in an ambulance, dying of cancer, on October 2nd, after a federal judge ruled that his indictment had been un-Constitutional. He died three days later on October 4th.
Angola 3 member Robert King and Malik Rahim, former Black Panther and founder of the Common Ground Collective, attended the memorial service and helped bury their lifelong friend. KPFA’s Ann Garrison spoke to them the next day.
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