VOICES OF HOPE UPDATE

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Ojore Lutalo | Art of Struggle Exhibit and Lecture

Voices of Hope Productions sponsored an art exhibit and lecture with activist Bonnie Kerness and ex-political prisoner Ojore Lutalo. Both kept the audience in "shock and awe" with stories of Ojore's experiences while held in solitary confinement for over 22 years in New Jersey State Prison. Bonnie explained that when Ojore first contacted her she had no concept of the conditions of, or how many people were tortured in control (isolation) units. Bonnie went on to say that while people in the US and the rest of "the world were shocked by what happened in Abu Ghraib and Guantanomo Bay, 2.5 million prisoners, families, lawyers, and activists understood this was business as usual." 

  

Look for scenes of Ojore's Art Exhibit and Lecture in an upcoming segment on NJN's Due Process starting November 21, 2010.

Ojore said that he experienced some of the same tactics and torture that terrorists or prisoners of war experience due to his personal and ideological belief system. He was placed in prison to break his mind and spirit, and to neutralize his radical and anarchist ideas. For instance he believes that "people have the capacity to govern themselves through the process of consensus." A good-looking and mild mannered man, when asked if he felt any sense of freedom, Ojore simply remarked, "I've never experienced freedom in America, and I don't think anyone who is black has either." 


Ojore will be featured in an upcoming episode of New Jersey Network's Due Process that will air on November 21 at 9:30 AM and 6:30 PM, and again on November 23 at 11:30 PM. During that week, the episode will also stream on
their website at www.njn.net/dueprocess. Click here for channel listings for the various cable and satellite providers. http://njn.net/television/channels 


Resource
An incredible list of companies that hire people who were formerly incarcerated.



A word about Healing Justice: Transformed Lives
"Wow how awesome!!!!! There is hope. My brother-in-law was incarcerated for over 21 for a crime that he didn't commit. He has been home with us for nearly 4 years. He has friends that are now coming home and they have no family and no where to go. Some friends got together to purchase a building to house them in while the get on their feet. I believe that people can change if the are willing to do the hard work. Healing Justice: Transformed Lives really drove this home for me. Great job! I will pass this one."

TODAY | The Art of Struggle

TODAY | Saturday,

October 9th, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Art Exhibit and Lecture

The Art of Struggle

Sponsored by Voices of Hope Productions

United States Political Prisoner, Ojore Luttalo’s Art reflects the subterfuge of solitary confinement in the Management Control Unit for 22 years. Bonnie Kerness is a humanitarian on the front line as coordinator of the Prison Watch Project, on behalf of political prisoners for over 30 years. Luttalo’s art is a collection of ideas enhanced by gripping images that brings light to an unforgiving prison system that uses isolation and torture to maim and destroy political prisoners.

Ojore was interned in this unit in an effort to break his mind and neutralize his radical political beliefs stemming from the Black Liberation Movements of the 1970’s. Ojore is a political anarchist believing that people have the capacity to govern themselves through the process of consensus. Ojore, and other political radicals in US prisons have evidence of ongoing government surveillance.

His release from this documented torture was ordered in 2009 via a court order. Ojore’s freedom was interrupted last January 26 when he was “disappeared” from an Amtrak train, arrested and charged with “endangering public transportation”. All of those charges were dropped. His story is the story of how the US uses psychological and physical torture for political reasons.

Ojore’s story is embedded in a report submitted to the United Nations Universal Periodic R

eview Working Committee which is due to review US political repression and the existence of US political prisoners this November.

Bonnie Kerness, Human Rights Activist

Bonnie Kerness has been an anti-racist activist since she was 14, working at the University Settlement House as a volunteer on issues of housing, neighborhood and gangs. In 1961, at the age of 19, she moved to Tennessee to participate in the Civil Rights Movement. In Memphis she was trained as a community organizer by the NAACP. She continued her work and training at Highlander Training School in Knoxville, where organizers from throughout the Civil Rights movement met for training and brainstorming. Bonnie moved back North in 1970 and became active with welfare rights, tenants rights and anti-war issues.

Bonnie gained her Masters in Social Work and has served as a human rights advocate on behalf of prisoners since 1975, working as coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee’s re-entry services project for over 15 years. She currently serves as coordinator of AFSC’s Prison Watch Project, which has had the use of isolation and devices of torture in US prisons as a primary focus. She has served as Associate Director and Acting Director of the AFSC Criminal Justice Program in Newark and the National Coordinator of the Campaign to Stop Control Unit Prisons.

She has helped publish, “Our Children’s House”; “Torture in US

Prisons – Evidence of US Human Rights Violations;" and “The Prison Inside the Prison: Control Units, Supermax Prisons and Devices of Torture”, the "Survivor’s Manual" and ”Inalienable Rights”. Bonnie speaks widely on behalf of men, women and children in prison about US human rights violations of the UN Convention Against Torture. She has been quoted in articles, books and other publications on prison related subjects.

Come meet the artist, Ojore Luttalo and hear from human rights activist extraordinaire, Bonnie Kerness about how torture and isolation continues to be used in New Jersey and throughout the United States.

The Art Exhibit and Lecture will be held from 3pm - 5pm

at Frank Talk Art, Bistro and Books, 163 Shrewsbury Avenue,

Red Bank, NJ.

Hope to see you there!