So it’s looking like the prisoners of Pelican Bay are organizing a hunger strike to fight prison restrictions on their civil rights as humans. Honestly don’t know enough about this particular situation to commentate on it, but I am definitely not a fan of the for profit prison systems in America. I’m also pretty confident that the last thing prison does is rehabilitate people or provide justice. While I’m not mad at the message this list of people they designated to speak on their behalf is mad random. Via SFBayView:
We prisoners held in Pelican Bay State Prison Security Housing Unit (PBSP SHU) seek support from all hip hop celebrities, fans and supporters to assist us in shutting down all solitary confinement units – i.e. Administration Segregation (Ad-Seg), SHU and Maximum Security units and the like – that hold New Afrikan prisoners and other races in solitary confinement indefinitely.
We embarked Sept. 26, 2011, on a peaceful hunger strike here in PBSP and throughout the state of California in order to obtain our civil and human rights. We are being denied our five core demands (submitted prior to the first phase of the hunger strike in July).
Prisoners are being held in solitary confinement indefinitely on the word of a prison debriefer – i.e., snitch, informer, rat, turncoat – or some false prison gang validation. Therefore, we seek your support and give you all the right to advocate on our behalf:
MC Lyte
Baby
Keyshia Cole
Lil Wayne
Eve
Jay-Z
Goapele
Scrappy
Lil Kim
Kam
Yoyo
Kwame Kweli
Nicki Minaj
The Coup
Erykah Badu
The Game
Foxy Brown
Kanye West
Free
Mos Def
Diamond
Chuck D
Queen Latifah
MOB Deep
Rashida
E-40
Terez McCall
Snoop Dogg
Jada Pinkett
Rihanna
Scarface
Lena
Ryakin Rip
Slim Thug
Solange
Tyrese
Solē
Bun B
Jamie Fox
Will Smith
Chris Brown
Jadakiss
Gorilla Zoe
Black Rob
Rev Run
Busta Rhymes
Ice-T
Ice Cube
WC, Mack-10
Ti
Dr. Dre
Joe Budden
Eminem
T-Bone
LeCrae
Drake
Too Short
Flame
50 cent
Loyd Banks
Raphael Saadiq
Maino
Terrence Jenkins
Rosci Diaz
Big Boi
KRS-One
DMX
2-Mex
Gucci Mane
JT The Bigga Figga
Chino XL
Chingo
Bling
Rebel Diaz
Fat Joe
Tego Calderon
Pitbull
Bubba Sparks
Cypress Hill
Nas