Mumia Abu-Jamal is a Black Panther who is serving a life sentence for murdering Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981.
Goddard College in Vermont gave Abu-Jamal the honor of being its commencement speaker. He earned a degree from the college in 1996. The speech was delivered via audio and did not include any mention of Abu-Jamal’s murderous past. Ironically, the cop killer told graduates to make the world a better place.
A memorial service for Faulkner countered this rather inflammatory choice of an honoree. A crowd honored the life of the man who was killed by Abu-Jamal.
Sentiment from #Philly. Meanwhile, #MumiaAbuJamal speaking at a Vermont college. Silence for 17 mins. @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/vWbeAnCYxd
— Steve Patterson (@PattersonCBS3) October 5, 2014
Faulkner’s widow Maureen had some very strong words for the college honoring her husband’s killer.
“Mumia Abu-Jamal will be heard and honored as a victim and a hero by a pack of adolescent sycophants at Goddard College in Vermont. Despite the fact that 33 years ago, he loaded his gun with special high-velocity ammunition designed to kill in the most devastating fashion, then used that gun to rip my husband’s freedom from him–today, Mumia Abu-Jamal will be lauded as a freedom fighter.
Let’s be honest. The instructors, administrators and graduates at Goddard College embrace having this killer as their commencement speaker not despite the fact that he brutally murdered a cop, but because he brutally murdered a cop.”
Pennsylvania State Representative Mike Vereb has introduced a bill that will prevent this from happening again.
Vereb says he doesn’t want to tread on first amendments rights, but he’s introduced a bill that’s making its way through the legislature that will give a court power to stop this from happening again.
Critics say if the bill becomes law it will likely face a court challenge.
H/T: Action News