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Unity In Prison

By VVAW

On December 16, 9173, the Ohio and East Pennsylvania regions of VVAW/WSO presented a People's Concert inside the walls of Huntingdon State Prison in south central Pennsylvania. Prison organizers put out a call to VVAW/WSO, asking us to present a politically relevant and musically entertaining concert instead of the barbershop quartet of singing guards which is generally offered by the prison administration. The goals of the concert were: to advance the unity of the prisoners in their struggle against the oppression, racism, and the dehumanizing and brutal treatment facing them; and for VVAW/WSO to show our solidarity with the prisoners in their struggle. Both of these goals were realized, and, as a result, the brothers in the prison are now forming a VVAW/WSO chapter for the purpose of uniting and organizing themselves.

VVAW/WSO put out the prisoners' call to several musicians, and six groups responded with great enthusiasm. The musicians who participated in the Huntingdon concert were: People's singer Barbara Dane and the New World Rollers from New York; Attica Brother Charley Joe Pernasilice from Syracuse; Brenda Woodrum, singer and VVAW/WSO member from Cincinnati; the Harrisburg bluegrass group, Home Grown; Columbus prison organizer and folk-singer, Larry Valenti; and the folk duo of Lipp and Lisak from Cincinnati.

Musicians and speakers stressed the need for unity and organization if we are to successfully carry on the day-to-day and longrange struggle against the racist, dehumanizing prison system. A VVAW/WSO member explained that our present-day prisons are guided and fostered by the same system which produced the Indochina war -- U.S. imperialism. Our government brutalizes, represses and views as inferior our brothers and sisters in prison in the same way that the U.S. views the Indochinese people as something less than human, and therefore, exploitable. Charley Joe Pernasilice stressed the need for organization inside and unity with those outside because both groups are fighting against the same exploitation and oppression which is coming down on all of us. Charley Joe is now facing a trumped-up first-degree murder charge as a result of the government's attempts to justify the Attica rebellion.

The feeling of unity in struggle felt during the concert was very high and has remained with the prisoners. As one brother from Huntingdon wrote: "The People's Concert did a lot to encourage me and other brothers to continue being completely dedicated to the war for liberation behind the walls and on the outside. Seeing people from the outside and hearing them speak about unity and displaying their support for the brothers behind prison walls gave me added strength."

Though the prisoners' spirits are high, the prison officials have not taken kindly to what VVAW/WSO did inside the prison in one evening's time. VVAW/WSO and Attica buttons were passed out and worn by the prisoners and Winter Soldier was distributed. Upon the concert's completion, all of the above were confiscated by the guards. The brothers in Huntingdon immediately began preparing a suit protesting the violation of their Constitutional rights to express their political beliefs and possess political matter, which was openly introduced into the prison while guards were present. Also, though the prison has continually stated that the inmates are only allowed one concert per year, the official moved into an immediate act of "retaliation" by spending $1,000 to get another concert (complete with "dancing girls" and lacking in any political content) for the prisoners. As one of the main prison organizers put it: "Once again the prison officials have sought to offset the call for unity and cast their evil and spiteful hand into the struggle."

The repression inside Huntingdon is severe and will most probably grow as the prisoners become more unified. Prison officials simply do not want a strong political force to contend with inside the prisons, and as attempts to get organized have been smashed in the past, so we may assume that the brothers inside Huntingdon will be facing increased pressure to "disband." In light of this, it will be increasingly important for VVAW/WSO to support prisoners in their struggles and to especially try to safeguard our chapters which are forming in prisons around the country. We will continue to support Huntingdon because it is a part of the same struggle that is being waged everywhere in the U.S. as people discover that their human and legal rights and liberties have been subverted by an ever-increasingly corrupt government.

To our brothers in Huntingdon and to our brothers and sisters in prisons everywhere, we say this -- that although the brutality and oppression still prevails, steps toward freedom are being taken. The first step is our unity, as was displayed inside Huntingdon. Though Barbara Dane sang the song "Insubordination" and dedicated it to the Huntingdon brothers in the "hole" the words may be applied to people everywhere:

I don't want nobody over me.
And I don't need nobody under me:
This is how it's got to be --
You better have respect for me!

UNITY-STRUGGLE-VICTORY