Flyer: The People Demand That All Political Prisoners Be Set Free / Before There Can Be An Investigation Black People Say Thomas Todd Must Be Co-Prosecutor
[Chicago]: Illinois Chapter Black Panther Party, [undated, but ca.late December,1969 - early 1970]. Original double-sided flyer, with text and images mimeographed in black and blue on white stock, measuring 21.5cm x 35.5cm (8.5" x 14"). Trivial handling, with subtle toning along the lower edge; Near Fine.
Uncommon flyer drawing attention to the plight of Lance Bell, an Illinois Panther who was shot by police on November 13, 1969. Bell was a bystander – one of several – shot by police that night. Another Panther, Spurgon "Jake" Winters, was on community patrol when he engaged with and shot two policemen. Winters was killer in the shootout, though in the aftermath, police showed in force and shot several bystanders. Bell was among them, arrested and made a scapegoat since Winters was killed, and one side of the flyer informs the community of his unjust incarceration and legal dilemma. The reverse side was written in the aftermath of the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark on December 4, 1969, expressing outrage at the police calling for another investigation of the event, and their naming Barnabus Sears, an elderly white lawyer, in charge of the investigation, and their naming of Ellis Reid and Howard Savage as token "black assistants." "The Black Panther Party and a number of other Black organizations petitioned the court to name Thomas Todd, a Black lawyer, as co-prosecutor with equal power to investigate as Barnabus Sears but the court refused...The main reason they refused Thomas Todd as co-prosecutor is because they know that he will stand up for Black people and will certainly tell them who the people were who murdered Fred and Mark and also that he will never go along with them making a third whitewash of the case." Not separately listed in OCLC under either title. 83839.
Price: $350.00