The trial of the panther 21

Sundiata Acoli was later tried and convicted for the killing of a state trooper on the New Jersey Turnpike and is currently serving a life sentence.

Kuwasi Balagoon was convicted of participating in a armored truck robbery that left three people dead; he died in prison in after publishing several influential works on anarchism. By contrast, Jamal Joseph, who later spent five years in prison for harboring another member of the Shakur family, became an academic and writer, earning a full professorship at Columbia University and earning an Academy Award nomination for co-writing a song for the movie August Rush.

In hindsight, the activities of various authorities against the Black Panthers and other Black activists has come under increased scrutiny. Revelations about the tactics used and popular depictions of these events, such as the recent Academy Award-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah have spread knowledge of the extent to which our own government targeted Black U.

Given the disparities that exist in the ways in which authorities have responded to movements like Black Lives Matter compared to the light approach against white, right-wing extremists, the relevance of past incidents like the prosecution of the Panther 21 continues to grow. Read Comments. Read Full Article Scroll for more articles. What Afeni was able to do in that courtroom was nothing short of miraculous.

Mind blowing. On May 12, , after two years of legal proceedings, all 21 Panthers were acquitted of the charges. The jury needed a mere 45 minutes to see the truth. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. You Might Also Like Madam C. Creator Roz Payne. Source Roz Payne. Date ca. Original Format photographs. Collection Photographs.