This letter comes from Corey Sutton Jr., an African currently locked up in the colonial prison system.
He is a subscriber to The Burning Spear newspaper through our sponsor-a-prisoner program, where Africans in these concentration camps receive the Spear for free while someone from the African community sponsors their subscription.
In this case, Corey Sutton Jr. came to know our movement through the courageous fight being waged by his family, spearheaded by his fearless mother Arica Sutton, who tells his story and demands freedom for her son wherever she may seize a platform.
Corey is a brilliant writer, and in this commemoration edition of the Spear, we wanted to share with our readers an excerpt of his letter and an original poem:
“I would really be honored to get to build a relationship with your movement. I back it 100 percent. I am you. I stand for what you stand for. I would like to know what I can do to be a part of your movement. You have my all. Black honor. Black pride.”
All of a Sutton, another soul.
Stole by the system.
Black men we pay the toll.
The price is our life.
Uncle Sam on the slice.
Excessive force was a drug and they overdosed.
They’re killing teens. They’re killing dreams, but they’re not killing me.
We have to stick together. We are all we got.
Police taking shots and I’m not talking about ciroc.
Blacks over skittles.
We won’t be belittled.
I challenge you,
To use your talents to,
Speak up and don’t let them,
Silence you.
People stressing. Protesting.
Unity is a blessing.
So we should all come together and use our voice as a weapon.
Together we stand, divided we fall.
What’s the point in giving, if you’re not giving your all?
I got my hands up, what else am I supposed to do?
You still shoot.
Television broadcasting a confused country.
I’m a resident of a nation that don’t want me.
The revolution has been televised.
If I sit here and do nothing that’s genocide.
Who cares who’s on our side?
Cause we are on our own.
How do you preach peace to a family who just lost their own?
“Always down for the cause. Never down for the count. I appreciate y’all so much words can’t even explain.
All of Sutton! La’Corey!”
Our Spear makes clear the position of the African People’s Socialist Party on the question of this colonial prison system.
It demands the immediate release of all Africans from prison, and boldly declares all African prisoners political prisoners, in this struggle for total liberation from alien domination.
We salute our brother Corey and all Africans waging fierce struggles within these camps, the belly of the beast.
African people must get organized to get free, our brothers and sisters behind these walls are no exception.
Thank you to all our brothers and sisters who sponsor and prisoner, and for those in the prisons that read the Spear and pass it on until the paper falls apart.
Thank you for keeping the Spear burning!
Freedom and Independence in our Lifetime!
All African prisoners are political prisoners!
