The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison & Fighting for Those Left Behind

Safiya Bukhari

The Feminist Press at CUNY, Feb 1, 2010 - Social Science - 320 pages

An inspiring memoir from a legendary activist and political prisoner that "reminds us of the sheer joy that comes from resisting civic wrongs" ( Truthout).

In 1968, Safiya Bukhari witnessed an NYPD officer harassing a Black Panther for selling the organization's newspaper on a Harlem street corner. The young pre-med student felt compelled to intervene in defense of the Panther's First Amendment right; she ended up handcuffed and thrown into the back of a police car.

The War Before traces Bukhari's lifelong commitment as an advocate for the rights of the oppressed. Following her journey from middle-class student to Black Panther to political prisoner, these writings provide an intimate view of a woman wrestling with the issues of her time—the troubled legacy of the Panthers, misogyny in the movement, her decision to convert to Islam, the incarceration of outspoken radicals, and the families left behind. Her account unfolds with immediacy and passion, showing how the struggles of social justice movements of the past have paved the way for the progress—and continued struggle—of today.

With a preface by Bukhari's daughter, Wonda Jones, a forward by Angela Y. Davis, and edited by Laura Whitehorn, The War Before is a riveting look at the making of an activist and the legacy she left behind.

Contents

• A Black Revolutionary: 1
• Experiences in the Black Panther Party: 18
• Safiya A Bukhari: 34
• Resolving Contradictions: 43
• On the Question of Sexism Within: 52
• Islam and Revolution Is Not a Contradiction: 64
• PostTraumatic Stress: 79
• This is Worth Fighting For: 87
• On the Question of Political Prisoners: 96
• Building Support for Political Prisoners of: 104

About the author

Born in Harlem, Bukhari joined the Black Panther Party in 1969. Imprisoned for nine years, Bukhari then co-founded the New York Free Mumia Abu-jamal Coalition and was co-chair of the Jericho Movemnet to Free US Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War. She died in 2003. Laura Whitehorn was a member of the Weather Underground, a supporter of the Black Civil Rights Movement, and the struggle for Puerto Rican independence. She worked to expose the illegal COINTELPRO of the FBI. Arrested in 1985, she became a defendant in the Resistance Conspiracy Case. She spent fourteen years in prison (released in 1999). She works at Poz magazine. Born in Harlem, Jones is the daughter of Safiya Bukhari. Jones is the director of the Safiya Bukhari - Albert Nuh Washington Foundation, which raises funds for the families of US political prisoners. She is also a nurse and consultant to Field Up Productions, an independent film company that produces documentaries and dramatic features focusing on the Civil Rights era.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison & Fighting for Those Left Behind
• Author: Safiya Bukhari
• Editor: Laura Whitehorn
• Contributors: Laura Whitehorn, Angela Y. Davis, Mumia Abu-Jamal
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY, 2010
• ISBN: 1558616543, 9781558616547
• Length: 320 pages
• Subjects: History / United States / 20th Century; Social Science / Women's Studies