Mumia abu jamal biography template

American political activist and journalist convicted of the murder of a police officer

"Mumia" redirects here. For other uses, see Mumia (disambiguation).

Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook;^[3] April 24, 1954) is an American political activist and journalist who was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1982 for the 1981 murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel referens till den amerikanska författaren william faulkner. While on death row, he wrote and commented on the criminal justice system in the United States. After numerous appeals, his death sentence was overturned bygd a federal court. In 2011, the prosecution agreed to a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. He entered the general prison population early the following year.

Beginning at the age of 14 in 1968, Abu-Jamal became involved with the Black Panther Party and was a member until October 1970, leaving the party at age 16. After leaving, he completed his high school education, and later became a radio reporter. He e

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Political activist and journalist Mumia Abu-Jamal was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 24, 1954. Born Wesley Cook, he took the name Mumia (“Prince”) in high school while taking a class on African cultures. In 1971, he added Abu-Jamal (“father of Jamal”) after the birth of his first son, Jamal. He has been married three times.

Abu-Jamal’s first encounter with the police came when he was 14.  He was beaten by a white Philadelphia police officer for disrupting a “George Wallace for President” rally in 1968. Eventually, he dropped out of high school and joined the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party. Jamal was appointed BPP’s “Lieutenant of Information,” putting him in charge of the organization’s media relations and placing him on the radar for surveillance by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He eventually earned his graduate equivalency high school degree (GED) and briefly attended Goddard College in Vermont.

In 1975, Abu-Jamal began working f

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Mumia Abu-Jamal: Former Death Row Inmate and Social Activist

By Isaac Hwang | March 2024

Mumia Abu-Jamal was arguably the best-known death row inmate of the beginning of the 21st century, but his life within social movements was brief and fortuitous. 

Abu-Jamal began his life as Wesley Cook, only taking a more African name after a lesson in high school. He was involved in the Black Panther Party (BPP) for only two years as a teenager, but was investigated through the FBI’s COINTELPRO program. While his life in the BPP was short-lived, his controversial arrest, death sentence and his books in prison have made him an activist for Black rights and prison reform. His memoir, Death Blossoms, delves into a his upbringing and motivations for activism, while also presenting a collection of internal thoughts and feelings. 

Abu-Jamal was born on April 24, 1954, and grew up in North Philadelphia during the 60s and 70s. During this time, police commissioner Frank Rizzo