Monday night, Blog Talk Radio's "Lets Be Frank" show featured a 45 minute interview with Parnell Herbert, who has written the new play titled "Angola 3," about three Black Panther political prisoners, Albert Woodfox, Herman Wallce, and Robert King. Woodfox and Wallace have been in solitary confinement for over 36 years. King was released in 2001 after 29 years of continuous solitary confinement. The new play premieres at Loyola University in Louisiana on September 18.
You can listen to the show at Blog Talk Radio:
www.blogtalkradio.com/letsbefrank/2009/09/01/Lets-Be-Frank
More information about the play called Angola 3:
angola3news.blogspot.com/2009/08/world-premier-of-angola-3-at-loyola.html
POETIC PANTHER PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS A NEW PLAY: "Angola 3"
In 1972 three Black Panthers were TARGETED as trouble makers, FRAMED for murders they did not commit and ISOLATED to SOLITARY CONFINEMENT for a total of 101 years and still counting.
Herman Wallace -State court commissioner recommended a new trial
Remains in Solitary Confinement - 36 years
Albert Woodfox - Guilty verdict overturned, remains in Solitary
Confinement - 36 years
Robert King - Exonerated after - 29 Years Solitary Confinement
***WORLD PREMIER***
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NUNEMAKER HALL
8:00PM Fri. & Sat. SEPTEMBER 18 & 19
3:00PM Sun. SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
Learn what led to this amazing dramatization of this ongoing true life story.
In the early 1970’s, two men Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, prisoners of Angola La. State penitentiary (the most brutal penitentiary in the United States at that time) saw a need for change.
As members and organizers of the first and only sanctioned prison based chapter of the Black Panther Party they began organizing anti rape squads, work stoppages, hunger strikes, educational programs and uniting racially divided inmates.
This being considered counter productive by the "Freeman" who depended on the dehumanizing conditions, racial divide, distrust and terror to run daily activities in the prison, these organizers had to be stopped.
In 1972 a guard was murdered and two logical scapegoats were found, Wallace and Woodfox.
They were placed in solitary confinement under investigation for murder where they remained until March 22, 2008 when they were placed in a special dormitory created for maximum security prisoners.
Later in 1972 another member of the Black Panther Party, Robert King was transferred to Angola from another prison weeks after the guard was murdered.
Because his reputation as a Black Panther and an organizer preceded him, he was immediately placed in solitary confinement held under investigation for the same murder as his two Comrades.
Those charges were dropped on Mr. King but while he remained in solitary confinement he was eventually framed and charged with the murder of another inmate.
In 2001 after serving 29 years in solitary confinement Mr. King’s verdict was overturned and he was exonerated of those charges. He now dedicates his life to working to free his Comrades and other political prisoners around the world. Mr. King’s focus in life remains "SOCIAL JUSTICE."
Angola 3 was written by Parnell Herbert friend of Robert King and boyhood friend of Albert Woodfox.
Contact: Parnell Herbert (832) 494-4027, Poeticpanther2002 [at] yahoo.com, www.angola3.org or www.coalitionforjustice.ning.com