Houston Black woman alleges HPD officers beat her for filming them

Annika Lewis (KHOU video screenshot)

On Sunday, January 29, Deric Muhammad of the Nation of Islam's Ministry of Justice called for an emergency press conference because a Black woman is alleging that White HPD officers brutally beat her.

According to the press release Deric Muhammad sent out: "Annika Lewis and her husband Sebastian Prevot are college students taking a break from school to take care of their family. They are the parents of three children. On Friday, January 27th, at approximately 2:30am, Annika was awakened by sirens and loud screaming. She looked out her window and saw about five police patrol cars and several Caucasian Officers beating and kicking her husband (according to Mrs. Lewis). After identifying herself to the officers as his wife, she questioned why the officers were physically assaulting him. The officer explained that her husband was being arrested but could not explain why they were STILL viciously kicking him after he’d already been handcuffed.

"Note: In a townhall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 26, Deric Muhammad instructed residents to begin recording police work. This was said in the presence of an HPD Asst. Chief who assured Mr. Muhammad it was perfectly legal. Annika did, just that. She went back into the house and grabbed her cell phone and began recording footage of the excessive force and abuse (which is her first Amendment Right). She was neither harming nor interfering with the arrest. One of the officers proceeded to grab Annika (who is 4 ’11 and only weighs 103 lbs.) by her hand twisting it behind her back, forcing the phone from her hand. “Didn’t I tell you to put that f**king phone up!” the officer taunted. Another officer grabbed her by her hair pushing her head toward the ground while another officer hit her in the back. When she began screaming, in hopes the neighbors would hear her, one of the officers said “shut the fu** up and punched her in her face several times. She was cuffed and thrown in the backseat of the squad car. They searched her home without consent, asking her about her children who were inside the home. They threatened to take her to jail and call CPS to come and get her children. When the officer finally let her out go he told her that her cell phone was inside the home on her dryer and that she had better not touch it until the officers had left the scene. Afraid, she complied. Once the officers left she grabbed her phone from the dryer to retrieve the recorded footage, but she noticed that the SD Card (that stores video footage) had been removed by one of the officers. The phone display was also cracked. Mrs. Lewis suffered a busted lip, swellings, contusions and bruising from the beating she took from the male officers. She was hospitalized and released. She did take pictures of her injuries. According to Annika, her husband said he was beaten so severely that he had to have part of his ear stitched back on. This incident takes place only one day after a Community Townhall meeting in Northeast Houston about this type of police brutality and only six days before a scheduled meeting between community leaders and Houston Police Department Chief, Charles McClelland."

It will be interesting to see how this unravels. According to law officials, the couple has yet to formally file a complaint. Watch coverage of the press conference in the KHOU video.

Related Links:
Activists rally behind couple's HPD brutality allegations

I Used to Love Her: My Renewed Affinity for EBONY Magazine

“I met this girl, when I was 10 years old

And what I loved most, she had so much soul 

She was old school, when I was just a shorty…” 

--Common, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” lyrics

By Brother Jesse Muhammad 

I read my first edition of EBONY back in the 80s when I was in elementary school because my grandmother was, and still is, an avid subscriber. The only thing she had more copies of than EBONY issues around her house were pictures of the white Jesus, JFK and Dr. King.

Reading and collecting EBONY was like a religion. The hallway leading to the bathroom was lined with bookshelves filled with some of the early editions.

I would spend hours flipping through them and admiring the accomplishments of our people from cover to cover. As a little budding artist at the time, my favorite section was the comic strips. They conveyed a serious message in a humorous way about what Black people were experiencing in America. I would secretly trace those comic strips in class when I was supposed to be doing my school work. (Sorry Mrs. Christopher)

Amy DuBois Barnett

My late aunt Flossie owned a beauty salon in the 3rd Ward ‘hood of Houston and the magazines of choice for the waiting room were always Johnson Publications. No White magazines in sight. EBONY was the latest gossip in her beauty shop. As I cleaned the floors and changed the water cooler, I would hear them talking about the cover layout, the story contents and how much they loved seeing the greatness of Black people on display.

We were loyal readers. It was a love affair that the Black community had with this magazine that gave us that “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud” warm and fuzzy feeling.

Then something happened. The times evolved but EBONY was not. By the time I got to high school in the mid-90s, it became a magazine that my friends and I would only skim through at the local grocery store based upon who was on the cover.

By the time I got to college, it became only something I glanced at when I visited my grandmother’s house. Its companion, JET, was only used as a coaster and to see the top music songs. Oh yeah, my homeboys at PVAMU stayed abreast on the Beauty of the Week and created murals in their dorm rooms. Other than that, we considered both of the landmark publications EBONY and JET as boring, non-youth attracting and outdated magazines for old folks. (Please don’t tell my grandmother I said that)

I made up my mind that I probably would never read another edition of either one. Maybe I was wrong for taking that attitude because I was brought into the knowledge of the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses, especially in the media. Johnson Publishing was said to be plummeting in circulations and sales, but I kept my $3.99.

Kierna Mayo

Then it happened. First, former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers became the CEO. Then I read a press release that Amy DuBois Barnett was being brought in as the new editor-in-chief. Barnett said she had the task of attracting a newer and younger generation of readers and sounded like she was up for the challenge. That got my attention and I decided to buy the September 2010 featuring President Barack Obama. I enjoyed Barnett’s interview with him, her “Personal Space” editorial, and a few of the other articles.

The next thing I know I was back consistently reading it. I started looking forward to reading the editor’s column every month just like Earl Graves’ words of wisdom in Black Enterprise. Each month it was something new and refreshing. A top-to-bottom redesign included a new logo, pages of shorter yet impactful articles on multiple topics, refreshing images and the use of cutting edge technology.

The evolution of EBONY won me back. I was back in love.

And if that wasn’t enough, the new digital wing of the magazine, headed by Kierna Mayo, relaunched the website in January. It was love at first site. (http://www.ebony.com) It’s epic! Not only am I back reading the magazine but I’m on their website every day. Congrats to this powerful team of Black women for putting EBONY on a new course and building upon the legacy of the Johnson Family.

(Brother Jesse Muhammad is a staff writer for The Final Call newspaper, an award-winning blogger and motivational speaker. Follow his boring tweets @BrotherJesse)

Screenshot of the new EBONY.com

Mumia Abu-Jamal transferred to General Prison Population for the first time in 30 years

This is a victory but the fight is far from over. According to FreeMumia.com, "As of 1/27/12, Mumia Abu-Jamal has officially been transferred to General Prison Population after being held in Administrative Custody (“The Hole” or Solitary Confinement) at SCI Mahanoy, Frackville, PA for seven weeks. This is the first time Mumia has been in General Population since his arrest in 1981. This comes within hours of the of delivery of over 5,500 signed petitions to Department of Corrections headquarters in Camp Hill, PA and a complaint filed with the support of United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez."

The site organizers also posted "that while this is a victory in transferring Mumia out of the torturous Restricted Housing Unit (RHU), we call upon the closure of ALL RHU’s! Furthermore, we call upon the IMMEDIATE RELEASE of Mumia Abu-Jamal and are not disillusioned by this transfer. Free Mumia!"

Everyone can write to Mumia by sending letters to:

Mumia Abu-Jamal 

#AM8335 

SCI Mahanoy 

301 Morea Road 

Frackville, PA 17932 

Related posts:
WTH?! Mumia is Still Being Unjustly Held in “The Hole” at SCI Mahanoy. Sign The Petition!

Minister Farrakhan speaks on his Caribbean Tour with Cliff Kelley: "Thousands of Haitians are still living in tents."

In the recent edition of The Final Call newspaper, there is an excerpt of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan's latest interview with Cliff Kelley of Chicago's WVON 1690. In part of the interview Minister Farrakhan discussed his Caribbean tour he made in December that included Jamaica, St. Kitts and Haiti.

"And I wanted to talk to the common people of Haiti. …Two years after such a devastating earthquake, thousands upon thousands of Haitians are still living in tents. Cholera, which is believed to have been brought to the island by the Nepalese members of the United Nations Force through their excrement either being dropped or thrown in the river, and it began to spread. So when Ezili Danto mentioned to me that what they need is clean, pure, drinking water, The Nation of Islam raised $130,000 to send to Haiti a state-of-the-art machine that is solar powered, that can turn out 30,000 gallons of water a day. And through the office of Ezili Danto and the Haitian Muslims [of the Nation of Islam] who went down when the machine came, we placed that water machine among the people of vodou so that those that have been cut off, those that have been marginalized, could have something to offer to the Haitian people that everybody needs and wants, which is water," he said.

"But I said after Saviours’ Day, I wanted to bring another one down and give it to the Muslims, and another one to the Christians, because my aim is to bring the Christian family, the Muslim family, and the family of vodou together, because it’s going to take all working together, by the Grace of God, to free Haiti from Western domination." [READ THE FULL EXCERPT]

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The Case of Howard Morgan: Black policeman shot 28 times by four White Chicago cops and lived

This is crazy! I was informed about this case by Brother Kareem Ali of Memphis who has been supporting the family from the start. How do you get shot 28 times and then end up on trial? According to the YouTube description "Officer Howard Morgan was shot 28 times by four white Chicago District 10 police officers at 19th and Lawndale, Chicago, IL on February 21, 2005. He was accused of going the wrong way on a one-way street. He was charged with 4 counts of first degree attempt murder and three counts of aggravated battery and one count of aggravated discharge of a firearm. Officer Morgan was shackled to his hospital bed for over 6 months. He was taken to Cook County Corrections where he slept on the floor until he was released on a two million dollar bond."

"After his first trial he was found not guilty for firing his weapon and two counts of aggravated battery. Now the court is attempting to RETRY Officer Morgan AGAIN. But how can it be attempted murder if he is found NOT GUILTY for firing HIS GUN? The DOUBLE JEOPARDY LAW APPLIES! The story is trying to be hid from the public eye! We must get the word out!!! Help me STOP this INJUSTICE NOW because if it happen to him it can be easily happen to you!"

Watch the video, repost it and if you're in the Chicago area reach out to this family and show your support.

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer's book sales skyrocket after pointing finger in President Obama's face

Some say Republican Arizona Governor Jan Brewer was totally out of line for putting her finger in President Obama's face as they had a conversation on Wednesday, January 25 at her state's airport during the president's post-State of the Union tour stop. Well, the "point heard 'round the world" may have been bad manners, but heck it certainly didn't hurt her books sales. The book she wrote "Scorpions for Breakfast" is said to have aspects inside that Obama is displeased with, thus the heated conversation. According to Amazon.com, Gov. Brewer's book went from being ranked 311,472nd (pre-fingerpointing) to now 14th by late evening Thursday and rising. Who needs a publicist, huh? She even called him "very thin-skinned." Was this really shocking to you at all? Not me. He's been disrespected the second he walked into the Oval Office. If Obama had pointed back I wonder what they would've have said about him. Who knows. Maybe instead of singing Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", the president needs to start harmonizing like Aretha Franklin: R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

The Honorable Dudley Thompson: A life well-lived, a man to remember

The Honorable Dudley Thompson
January 19, 1917­—January 20, 2012

(Source: FinalCall.com) - The passing of Ambassador Dudley Thompson, an ardent Pan-Africanist, lawyer and brilliant thinker offers us a time to reflect on life, gifts and service. At the time of his death, the longtime race man was 95-years-old and still working to realize a lifelong dream of empowering and uniting the sons and daughters of Africa.

He was born in Panama but his work made him a full-fledged son of Jamaica, where he served as an ambassador and a minister of national security, justice and foreign affairs. Ambassador Dudley was known for his keen wit, his oratory and his passion for his people.

It is easy today to recognize the independent nations of Africa and the Caribbean, but without the efforts of heroes like Ambassador Thompson, such liberty would not have been possible. He was among men who took principled and unpopular stands, bristling at colonialism, clear on the need to end Black suffering, burning with spirit of self-determination and clear on the necessity for unity as sustained attacks besiege a once-great but now scattered people.

Dudley Thompson was a man of accomplishment, serving in Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II and becoming a Rhodes scholar. In England he interacted with such Pan-African greats as Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, who led the West African nation to independence; George Padmore of Trinidad and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya. These men were visionaries and saw the importance of a United Africa and a United Black Diaspora.

His accomplishments and skills were not handed over to the opponents of Black liberation. After attending Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar, he practiced law in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) and Kenya in the early 1950s. He quickly became involved in the nationalist struggles of both countries and was a close friend of Mr. Kenyatta and Julius Nyerere, the first president of Tanzania. It was Mr. Thompson who discovered the whereabouts of Mr. Kenyatta after the latter’s abduction by the British during Kenya’s Mau Mau revolution. Mr. Thompson assembled the international legal team that came to Mr. Kenyatta’s defense. Mr. Kenyatta himself as president of Kenya, placing his hand on Dudley Thompson sitting next to him said, “this man saved my life.” [READ MORE]

The Work Habits of The Prophets (Part 2): What happens to a person who is constantly "passing the buck"?

by Willie Muhammad

During the last blog we highlighted the “Two Ps (procrastination and poor planning)”. With this entry we want to look at “Passing the buck.”

One of the meanings of “passing the buck” is "the act of attributing another person or group with responsibility for one's own actions.” This is a terrible habit for one to have; it is counterproductive on so many levels. It shows a lack of accountability and flaws in one’s character.

When I think of this negative habit as it relates to scripture, the Biblical figure Adam comes to mind. God selected Adam to serve as His successor. Adam was given power and dominion second only to God. Duty, responsibility and a mission comes with power. God gave Adam a task to conquer, cultivate and replenish the earth. He also gave Adam some rules to abide by as he worked, which we know he failed to obey.

The scripture clearly shows that Adam was given clear instructions. When God returned, despite the fact that He knew Eve first ate the fruit, God called Adam to the carpet. Instead of Adam stepping up to the plate and accepting his failure to refrain from eating the fruit, when questioned Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate it” Genesis 3:12. He passed the buck for his own failure. Hell, Eve did not put a gun to his head. How many of us attribute our actions to some force or person other than ourselves? If we find ourselves doing so, we have to ask ourselves, “Where and what has it gotten us? Are we closer or further away from accomplishing what we desire?” When we pass the buck we deteriorate our character and diminish the Essence of God that exists within each of us.

Once while at the dinner table with the Hon. Louis Farrakhan after Hurricane Katrina, the subject of mosque and study group buildings in the Nation being properly insured came up. The Hon. Louis Farrakhan went around the table asking the students who were there if their building had insurance. As my turn to respond neared, in my mind I began to think about how our mosque never had insurance and how I inherited this situation. Plus I was relatively new to the post. As I thought about that and contemplated using that as my response, I could not live with lying to the Minister or giving him that as an excuse. I accepted the responsibility to serve in the position so therefore, it was my responsibility to do what was needed. I embarrassingly, told the Hon. Louis Farrakhan we didn’t. He spanked me and those who said they had no insurance in a mild lovingly manner. I felt bad that I didn’t change what had been a tradition, but I felt good about the fact that I told him the truth. IMMEDIATELY, after getting back to the city we got full coverage and still have it today. I sent the Minister copies of the declaration pages (smile). I can only imagine the spanking I would have further gotten if I would have tried to pass the buck.

In closing, I think the 1 Corinthians 10:13 in the New Testament and Sura 2:286 in the Holy Quran can help us to understand that there is never a time we need to pass the buck. We are more than qualified to handle whatever task we are given (Sura 90:4) and if we fall short, we need to remember that we should fear none but God.

(Student Minister Willie Muhammad is the New Orleans representative of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan and Nation of Islam. Follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/BroWM46)

Do You Want To Succeed As Bad As You Want To Breathe?

This is one of the best motivational talks I've watched and heard on YouTube. The speaker's name is Eric Thomas a.k.a. The Hip-Hop Preacher. He shares a phenomenal story that is summed up by the quote "When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful." How bad do we really want it? [Full Video Clip Here]

WTH?! Mumia is Still Being Unjustly Held in “The Hole” at SCI Mahanoy. Sign The Petition!

This is absurd! I'm so sick of this criminal injustice system. According to FreeMumia.com "Mumia Abu-Jamal is being held in Administrative Custody (“The Hole” or Solitary Confinement) at SCI Mahanoy, Frackville, PA. Mumia’s death sentence has been dropped, and though he is supposed to be in General Population, he has been held in Solitary Confinement – shackled whenever he’s out side his cell (even to the shower), glaring lights 24/7, no regular phone calls, restrictive visits, inadequate commissary, no access to his materials and denied his typewriter."

I just signed the petition that calls for him being released to the General Population. I encourage all of the my blog readers to do the same @ https://www.change.org/petitions/transfer-and-assign-mumia-abu-jamal-to-general-population. The goal is 5,000 signatures. Let's exceed this immediately.

Free Mumia! Free Mumia! Free Mumia!

Farrakhan Speaks on the Enemy's Fear of Caribbean and Latin American Unity

It has only been a few weeks since The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan returned from his historic and very impactful Caribbean tour. In this video clip Minister Farrakhan discusses the potential power of Caribbean and Latin American unity with radio host Cliff Kelley on WVON 1690AM. He also discusses why the government of the U.S. fears his voice. [Original Clip Link]

Be sure to check out the latest cover story of The Final Call Newspaper and find out what's really going on in Haiti. Minister Farrakhan made a stop there for the first time during his tour. Read the full story.

AllHipHop.com, The League of Young Voters & Rock The Vote To Host “Barack Talk” in D.C.

(Source: AllHipHop.com News) 2012 is a pivotal year for politics and discussing hot-button issues that affect all Americans. 

On Tuesday, January 24, AllHipHop.com will partner with national non-profit organization, The League Of Young Voters Education Fund and Rock The Vote for the second annual #BarackTalk, a State of the Union round table discussion and watch party. The event will broadcast live from Busboys and Poets, one of our capitol’s cultural hotspots, at 5^th and K in Washington, D.C. at 7:30 p.m. EST.

#BarackTalk will kick off with a series of panel discussions about the biggest issues facing Millennial before the 2012 presidential election. The party begins when President Barack Obama starts his fourth State of the Union address, and will conclude with analysis and discussion by some of the best and brightest minds in entertainment and politics.

Panelists include Goldie Taylor, leading news correspondent (TheGrio.com, MSNBC); Chuck Creekmur, influential urban entertainment journalist and co-founder of AllHipHop.com; Andreas Hale of TheWellVersed.com; rapper Dee-1, and many more.

During the #BarackTalk discussions, participants are encouraged to engage directly with panelists by asking questions via Ustream at www.YoungVoterLive.com and LYVEF’s Twitter handle, @TheLeague99. Viewers asking questions on Twitter are encouraged to use the hashtag #BarackTalk.

In 2011, the first #BarackTalk State of the Union Event went viral, with the #BarackTalk Twitter hashtag trending locally in Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, LA.

As an ongoing mission, the League of Young Voters Education Fund and AllHipHop.com are working to promote civic engagement among young, urban minorities throughout the 2012 presidential election. 

(For more information on the State of the Union viewing event and all details surrounding the President’s address, please visit YoungVoterLive.com.)