From the Bottom of the Heap – Robert Hillary King
I was delighted to receive a copy signed by Robert Hillary King himself. (Dated 6/7/12). I was inspired to read this book having read Albert Woodfox' autobiography, as one of the so-called 'Angola Three', who spent several decades in solitary confinement in a penitentiary nicknamed 'Angola' (actually in Louisiana,USA), who civil rights activists campaigned against their harsh treatment owing to their having organised a Black Panther movement within the prison, believing their treatment to be a continuation of slavery that dominated the USA until quite recently, in which the southern states still had enforced segregation well into the 1960's.
King doesn't pretend to have lived a life free from crime. The thing to remember is, in these southern US sates, many poor Black children are born into poverty and crime, due to the lack of opportunity and historical oppression. Stealing and street gangs is all many of these youngsters have ever known. Before they knew it they were in jail for life, after 'three strikes'. I believe Woodfox was released after 42 years and died recently, which is how I got to hear about him. His book is stunning and well worth a read. King's narrative is humble, modest and quiet. There is not a single hint of grandiosity or boasting. He doesn't deny his criminal record, whilst at the same time strongly fights back against unfair court procedures and barbaric prison treatment (solitary confinement for years on end).
King describes his childhood and his family ties, how he moves from one neighbourhood to another, how he found himself following a life of petty crime and ending up in jail. He was accused of participating in a killing of a prison guard during a prison riot/stand off, which he strongly denies. The real culprit after many years eventually confesses that King had nothing to do with it. However, after many applications for justice, all summarily refused, he finally has a breakthrough and accepts reluctantly a 'vacated' sentence in exchange for a plea deal agreeing that he was in a 'conspiracy to murder'. With the support of the Angola Three activists, at least he is a free man, and Woodfox was eventually freed some years later, for different crimes, although they were friends in jail, King well-known for his skill in making confectionery inside.
It is a sad story, of King's mother unable to care for her children and their having to live with King's grandmother. He has a number of siblings, some of different parents, plus numerous relatives int he extended family network. He writes fondly of his own family and there is even a family tree included.
Cruelly, the prison authorities refuse to let him attend his mother's funeral.
The book has some great pictures which are well captioned.
I was delighted to receive a copy signed by Robert Hillary King himself. (Dated 6/7/12). I was inspired to read this book having read Albert Woodfox' autobiography, as one of the so-called 'Angola Three', who spent several decades in solitary confinement in a penitentiary nicknamed 'Angola' (actually in Louisiana,USA), who civil rights activists campaigned against their harsh treatment owing to their having organised a Black Panther movement within the prison, believing their treatment to be a continuation of slavery that dominated the USA until quite recently, in which the southern states still had enforced segregation well into the 1960's.
King doesn't pretend to have lived a life free from crime. The thing to remember is, in these southern US sates, many poor Black children are born into poverty and crime, due to the lack of opportunity and historical oppression. Stealing and street gangs is all many of these youngsters have ever known. Before they knew it they were in jail for life, after 'three strikes'. I believe Woodfox was released after 42 years and died recently, which is how I got to hear about him. His book is stunning and well worth a read. King's narrative is humble, modest and quiet. There is not a single hint of grandiosity or boasting. He doesn't deny his criminal record, whilst at the same time strongly fights back against unfair court procedures and barbaric prison treatment (solitary confinement for years on end).
King describes his childhood and his family ties, how he moves from one neighbourhood to another, how he found himself following a life of petty crime and ending up in jail. He was accused of participating in a killing of a prison guard during a prison riot/stand off, which he strongly denies. The real culprit after many years eventually confesses that King had nothing to do with it. However, after many applications for justice, all summarily refused, he finally has a breakthrough and accepts reluctantly a 'vacated' sentence in exchange for a plea deal agreeing that he was in a 'conspiracy to murder'. With the support of the Angola Three activists, at least he is a free man, and Woodfox was eventually freed some years later, for different crimes, although they were friends in jail, King well-known for his skill in making confectionery inside.
It is a sad story, of King's mother unable to care for her children and their having to live with King's grandmother. He has a number of siblings, some of different parents, plus numerous relatives int he extended family network. He writes fondly of his own family and there is even a family tree included.
Cruelly, the prison authorities refuse to let him attend his mother's funeral.
The book has some great pictures which are well captioned.
via International Skeptics Forum https://ift.tt/7MoshpB
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