Hello Everybody, this is Keith Lamar, AKA Bomani Shakur, one of the Lucasville Uprising Prisoners. I'm reaching out to inform you all that I finally finished my book Condemned. My case, as you know will be coming up for oral arguments sometime in the near future.
My hope is that after reading my book you will feel compelled to join me in my efforts to stay alive. More than that my hope is that I can somehow use what has happened to me as an illustration of what can happen to any poor person in america. In a real sense then, this book isn't just about me or about what happened to these men after a prison uprising. It's about all of us. What happened to me can happen to you. Especially if you are poor. Especially if you are a minority. Especially if you are alone... or at least feel that you're alone.
My hope is that after reading my book you will feel compelled to join me in my efforts to stay alive. More than that my hope is that I can somehow use what has happened to me as an illustration of what can happen to any poor person in america. In a real sense then, this book isn't just about me or about what happened to these men after a prison uprising. It's about all of us. What happened to me can happen to you. Especially if you are poor. Especially if you are a minority. Especially if you are alone... or at least feel that you're alone.
Writing this book and talking to various people around the country I've learned that I am not by myself in this struggle and my hope is that in sharing this book with you all, that you all will come away with the same feeling: that we're not alone. We're not divided...
Really, contrary to what those in power would have us believe, there are more of us than there are of them. If we'd just turn around and look to the next person we will see that.
We will also see that it is only when we have compassion and understanding for each other that we can do something about the pain and struggle that we are all engaged in.
I hope that you can get this book and share it with your friends and family, and that we can meet again soon and talk about these things.
Really, contrary to what those in power would have us believe, there are more of us than there are of them. If we'd just turn around and look to the next person we will see that.
We will also see that it is only when we have compassion and understanding for each other that we can do something about the pain and struggle that we are all engaged in.
I hope that you can get this book and share it with your friends and family, and that we can meet again soon and talk about these things.
Peace,
Keith Lamar.
Help release Condemned!
Condemned will be available through Amazon soon, but starting now, you can help us get a first batch of books together, and secure your copy by donating to this indiegogo campaign (http://igg.me/at/KeithLaMar/x/600177). If we can raise $880 that'll buy us 250 books, for events and outreach to media outlets, bookstores and other folks need to get their hands on a copy ASAP!
Host an Event!
We're still waiting on the date for oral arguments on Keith's final appeal of the death sentence. We don't have to just wait, we can use the time we have now to plant seeds of a national mobilization that could pressure these judges and lawyers into a favorable decision, that should build momentum toward the general amnesty we seek.
Please take a minute to think about communities you could share this information with: your school, church, book club, friends and family. Hosting an event is easy, and you don't have to be an expert on the uprising, because one of the prisoners who was there will be able to call in and answer questions. Whether you'd like to do a film screening, a reading from Condemned, anything else, we'd love to make it easy for you. We can lend you a stack of literature to have on hand during the event, set you up temporarily with an approved phone number for Keith, Hasan or Jason to call in to, and get you a copy of The Shadow of Lucasville. Just contact Ben and he'll make it happen: 614-704-4699 or insurgent.ben@gmail.com
Thank you, keep on fighting.
Ben