December 17th marked two years since the passing of Russell Maroon Shoatz. He was a founding member of the Black Unity Council, a former member of the Black Panther Party and a soldier in the Black Liberation Army. After twice escaping from prison, and twice being recaptured, Shoatz was held in solitary confinement for more…
Read MoreThis week, Zolo Azania returns to Kite Line. He recently visited Indiana University’s campus, and gave a talk that we began airing last week. On that episode, he reflects on that visit and talks about his history, focusing on how learning to use the law improved his life. The efforts of Azania, his lawyers and…
Read MoreOver the next few weeks, we will be sharing clips of our favorite moments from our archive of shows. The following story is from Mark Cook, one of my all-time favorite guests on Kite Line. In this gem, Cook, a founding member of the Walla Walla Black Panther Party, tells us the story of using…
Read MoreThis week, Mwalimu Shakur calls us from inside Corcoran prison in California to share his experiences in the Secure Housing Unit. He’s been on the show before, talking about the gladiator fights used by guards to punish and control the imprisoned population. Housed in Corcoran for decades, he describes how he kept going under such…
Read MoreThis week’s episode ends our series of conversations with Valrice “Whop” Cooper. Whop is the legendary cornerman who learned his craft training prisoners in the Louisiana DOC’s boxing program. For this episode, they discuss how he was punished inside the prison system for standing up for his trainees, how these athletes stay fit behind prison…
Read MoreThis week starts our series of conversations with Valrice “Whop” Cooper, the legendary cornerman who learned his craft training prisoners in the Louisiana DOC’s boxing program. For this episode, we discuss his thirty-five-year prison term that began in 1976 at the age of 17, and how coming into contact with the Black Power movement- one…
Read MoreKevin Steel speaks to us about being sentenced to twelve years in prison at the age of 17. Speaking to us from the 4th annual Fight Toxic Prisons conference- which you can hear at points in the background- Kevin touches on a lot of different topics, including the Influence of the Black Panthers and other groups…
Read MoreWe recently sat down with Zolo Agona Azania, who was recently released after surviving decades on Indiana’s death row. In this first section of the interview, he covers his early experiences in prison, the role of imprisoned Black Panthers in mentoring him, and the cycle of prisoners struggles that lasted in Indiana from the late…
Read MoreThis week, Kite Line welcomes the continued contributions of Mark Cook, who we recorded in conversation with Alejo Stark. Mark is a former prison rebel, dating back to ambitious organizing on the inside in the 1960s. Following his release from prison, he co-founded the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party and later went underground…
Read MoreThis week, Kite Line welcomes the contributions of Mark Cook for a second time. Mark is a former prison rebel, dating back to ambitious organizing on the inside in the 1960s. Following his release from prison, he co-founded the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party and later went underground with the George Jackson Brigade. …
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