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Chokwe Lumumba Wonât Shut Up
By Charles E. Simmons
Detroit--March 28, 2005----The Detroit legal community has a rich history of men and women who have dedicated their lives to the struggle for justice. The city also has been a major force in the founding of two legal organizations, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, and the National Lawyersâ Guild, whose members represent the nationâs champions of peopleâs human and civil rights. In spite of the lack of information about these struggles in the mainstream media, and in this era of downsizing and outsourcing of the human spirit, it is important to know that such lawyers are still in our midst and still making great sacrifices to advocate for the humble, to bear witness for the oppressed, and to often share their fate. The names of only a few of these great fighters include: Rev. and Attorney Milton Henry who traveled with Malcolm X and Robert Williams; the late Judge/Congressman George Crockett Sr., a founding member of the NLG, and Kenneth Cockerel Sr., who served on the Detroit City Council and was a founding member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers.
This has been the life and mission of Detroitâs Attorney Chokwe Lumumba since his days of fighting against racism at Wayne State University in the 1960s and 70s. As law students, Chokwe along with classmate Jeff Edison, spent many hours on picket lines and in the community seeking to inform, advocate for and to empower the little folk. I recall that they both also spent a great deal of energy helping other law students as officers in the Black Legal Alliance. It was during an African Liberation Support Day in the early 1970s when I was introduced to brother Chokwe by veteran freedom fighter and President of the Republic of New Africa, Imari Obadele.
After some 15 years of distinguished law practice that included highly publicized representation of political activists across the nation, much at his own expense, and the advocacy for the indigent in both criminal and civil cases, Chokwe moved with his family to Mississippi. The cases that Chokwe represented often involved activist defendants who challenged the system. Many judges, who place their allegiance to the status quo above justice, often focus their anger, not only on the defendant, but also on the attorney who would dare exercise an energetic defense by speaking the truth as well as the law. Hence, Chokwe, as many such champions before him, have been continuously harassed by the courts with insults, fines, citations for contempt of court, imprisonment and threats of suspension and disbarment. Elder practitioners recall the days when white judges, irritated by aggressive Black lawyers demanding equal rights for their clients, would warn them: âBoy/Girl, sit down and shut up.â
There are many such lawyers who wouldnât shut up and were thereby penalized in various ways by the judge. In addition, outside of the courtroom, Chokewe has experienced policemen in Mississippi and Michigan putting their loaded guns to his gut.
From the beginning of his experience in Mississippi, Chokwe had an uphill battle with the Bar Association and judges. They questioned his political ideas, his wearing of African garments in the courtroom, and his uncompromising representation of his clients. In essence, they have kept telling him over the years to âShut up,â but he refused. As a New African revolutionary, Chokwe also became a good father and husband, and continued to serve the local and national community. Across the nation, he fought for the rights of prisoners, workers and youth, but his clients do not include drug dealers. In Jackson, Mississippi, He formed a championship youth basketball team.
The forces of injustice and racism continued to plot against him. The Bar Association and judges shook their fingers, complained, filed grievances, and brought charges against him. This year other racists complained that he should not have defended the right of retired Professor Imari Obadele to speak for Black History Month at the Jackson City Council even though he was invited by a Councilmember.
On March 17, the Mississippi Supreme Court suspended Chokwe for six months, fined him, and also requires that he retake the most subjective section of the bar exam, the ethics segment. The court admitted that this case was unprecedented--for a lawyer to be disciplined by them for arguing with a judge. Chokwe will fight this as he has the other penalties. As he told one judge, he was proud to be penalized in the fight for justice.
But we must help. These penalties are not just for Chokwe, they are a scorched earthâtake no prisoners-- attack on our people and all who believe in justice. These attacks are also being made on other attorneys such as Lynn Stewart who was recently convicted for her advocacy of defense for a Muslim Cleric in New York. This is the struggle of lawyer Alton Maddox who was disbarred in New York for his defense of Tawana Brawley over a decade ago. We can expect these battles to escalate as the forces of injustice wage all out war against the peoplesâ rights across this embattled planet. The struggles of a peoplesâ lawyer must be embraced totally and immediately by our entire local and national communities.
Donations should be made to the Chokwe Lumumba Defense Fund and sent to POB 31726, Jackson Mississippi 39286-1762. Call 601-353-0450 for further information.
Charles Simmons teaches journalism and law at Eastern Michigan University, is co-chair of the Committee for the Political Resurrection of Detroit and a former member of the League of Revolutionary Black Workers. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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