Saturday, November 22
2:00 – 3:30 pm
The People’s Forum
320 West 37th Street
This is an in-person event only hosted by The People’s Forum. The worldwide release will take place on Thursday, December 4. To organize and register a watch party, fill out the form on this page.
Indianapolis-based artist, children’s book author, community advocate, and future exoneree has been invited to be one of the featured panelists at the New York City Premiere of the new documentary, “Across Enemy Lines: Shaka A. Shakur.” Below is a description of the event from The People’s Forum website.
Why is Shaka A. Shakur is still imprisoned, given that he has already served the entirety of the sentence for his 2002 conviction? Why is he incarcerated in Virginia—hundreds of miles away from his family—even though he was not convicted of a federal crime? Across Enemy Lines investigates and answers these questions, recounting the story of this New Afrikan Political Prisoner, revolutionary organizer, author, and theorist. Told through the words of Shaka, his wife Akili Shakur, and various friends and supporters, this documentary is more than a story of one man and the communities most directly-impacted by his unjust incarceration; it is a snapshot of the mass incarceration system, the evolution of the Black/New Afrikan nation and resistance, and most of all, it is a call to do everything we can to return this grandfather, community leader, and human rights advocate back home where he belongs.
Panelists
Shaka A. Shakur, now a great-grandfather, is a significant New Afrikan Political Prisoner, revolutionary organizer, leader, theorist, movement builder, and fighter for all oppressed and exploited people. He spearheads organizing on the inside and networking with outside revolutionary organizations and is the author of Manifestations of Thought: When the Dragon Comes (1804 Books). You can learn more about Shaka and how to support his campaign at ShakaShakur.org.
Derek Ford is a teacher, educational theorist, and organizer living in Indianapolis. Ford helped create the Indianapolis Liberation Center, where he volunteers as the Organizational Relations Directors. He is a lead organizer with the Coalition to Free Vernon T. Bateman and is on the Board of the Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign. Ford’s written eight books, including Teaching the Actuality of Revolution: Aesthetics, Unlearning, and the Sensations of Struggle (Iskra, 2023) and Communist Study: Education for the Commons (Lexington, 2022).
Wednesday Jin is an international college student from China at DePauw University. Jin organizes with Students and Youth L.I.T. (Liberation, Independence, Transformation) and works in the Korean peace movement. Jin is currently translating Manifestations of Thought intro Mandarin and previously translated Shaka’s most recent pamphlet, From the Republic of New Afrika to Palestine (Indianapolis Liberator, 2024).
Vernon T. Bateman is an artist, author, and community advocate. He was falsely arrested at the age of 18 and unjustly incarcerated for 26 years. Released on parole in 2023, Bateman still faces unconstitutional and severely restrictive parole stipulations. Despite these restrictions, Bateman continues fighting for justice through his children’s books and artwork. As Congressman André D. Carson said, Bateman’s “work is a powerful reflection of his unwavering commitment to social justice, offering both a challenge and a solution to the injustices we face.” You can find out more about Bateman at Baby22GunSafetyLLC.com and FreeVernon.org.