Many of the class-war prisoner stipend recipients wrote greetings to the PDC Holiday Appeal fundraisers, where they were displayed. We print below excerpts from some of those greetings, noting with sadness that MOVE member Phil Africa died on January 10.

Phil Africa

29 November 2014

I hope all are doing well and staying strong out there like I know yall are. Family & self are also all doing strong thanks to JOHN AFRICA. I just wanted to send a short greeting to let everyone know that we in THE MOVE ORGANIZATION sincerely appreciate all the hard work yall continuously do year round and for every one. From backing the dock workers who refuse to load or unload materials for this systems war machines, to giving a voice to the teachers who are gravely under paid and still give their all to teaching the children of the masses. Then there are the average workers who have to fight just to get a raise in the minimum wage so that they can care for families, while this empire spends billions of tax dollars on their war machine aimed at world domination! I use many of the Workers Vanguard & other PDC publications to help open the eyes of those behind these walls who are still blind to the crimes this system is guilty of and commits against them daily. MOVE understands the energy, the commitment it takes to be on the front line of struggle 24-7 and we give you all our “On The Move!” for the effort yall put into doing that work.

Jaan Laaman

[audio greeting]
3 December 2014

I am sending you these greetings from out here in the Sonoran Desert, at the US penitentiary in Tucson.

I am glad I can join with all of you at these events, even with just these words. I’d certainly love to be sitting there next to you, listening and participating. The PDC’s work, its solidarity and support for U.S. political prisoners, is significant and necessary. Each of you here tonight, your support for this work, your solidarity with those of us behind the walls, is important and we welcome your solidarity.

This past year the PDC increased the material support it sends and I will say, this has been a real help in my day to day life.

The killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson has fired up the issue of killer cops and government repression across the country. We may be, and I hope we are, witnessing the emergence of a new mass movement of popular resistance. The PDC, with its 29 year history of struggle against cops, the klan, prisons and more, is in a good position to participate and offer some insight and advice to this present activism.

Before I conclude, let me remind everyone to check out 4strugglemag, at www.4strugglemag.org, which is the primary voice of political prisoners in the U.S. Issue 24 is up now—we also print hard copies. 4SM will be going to a new print schedule (twice a year) in 2015, but we will be increasing our online editions.

Hugo Pinell

17 November 2014

Warm greetings, best of love and health. Since my last open statement to you, in Nov. of 2013, I was transferred to this SHU in New Folsom, in Jan. of 2014. For me, this place is better because it is closer to the Bay Area and it is easier for my mom, my daughter, my family and other true loved ones to visit with me on a more regular basis. The visits remain non-contact, but it is a true blessing to have my mom alive still, able to visit often as she has done for the 50 years I’ve been in the Calif. Department of Corrections.

I appeared before the parole board, in May, and they denied me 5 more years which shocked and hurt me deeply because I really expected to be released immediately or in one year. It’s been harder to shake these hurt feelings but, aside from the beautiful and powerful energies I receive from those above mentioned, I must also include your loving and caring energies, along with those from the Partisan Committee, for you have been with me for the last 28 years, and I use this tremendous force to stay healthy, all around, and to keep on pushing, growing, and enhancing the qualities of the new man I started building decades ago, when I joined the liberation movement. So, I’m doing and feeling better.

Ed Poindexter

17 November 2014

I turned 70 on November 1, and it reminded me that the PDC has been an avid and generous support for a number of years. Decades, in fact.

As my mental processes begin to slow down a tad, I still remain convinced that I can make a difference in this world. And I also remember who has been in my corner, and I extend my heartfelt gratitude for your continued support.

* * *

(reprinted from Workers Vanguard No. 1061, 06 February 2015)

Workers Vanguard is the newspaper of the Spartacist League with which the Partisan Defense Committee is affiliated.