FINDING JUSTICE
I was inspired by Rachel Aviv’s article on Albert Woodfox, one of the Angola 3, whose commitment to the principles of the Black Panther Party helped him endure four decades of solitary confinement, even after the Party itself had fallen apart (“Surviving Solitary,” January 16th). But I disagree with the friend of one of his fellow-inmates, who said that this commitment to the Party was like that of Japanese fighter pilots who were still fighting thirty years after the war ended. For most African- Americans, the war is not close to over. It rankled me to read that the only way out of prison for Woodfox was through a plea bargain—admitting guilt where there was overwhelming evidence of innocence. This is one of many mechanisms by which black people…
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The New Yorker (Digital) - 1 Issue, January 30, 2017