Geronimo Pratt
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Geronimo Pratt, also known as Geronimo ji-Jaga, was a high ranking member of the Black Panther Party. He was also the godfather of rapper Tupac Shakur. He was sent to prison in 1972 for a crime many believe he didn't commit. In 1997 he was freed. Pratt was represented by Johnnie Cochran in his original trial, and Cochran contributed much to the appeals that later led to his conviction being overturned. During Pratt's original trial, the FBI had penetrated the defense team. Currently an international human rights activist, Geronimo ji Jaga, formerly known as Geronimo Pratt, is a highly decorated Vietnam Veteran who served two combat tours in Vietnam. After the war he enrolled in an undergraduate program at UCLA. It was there that he became a deeply committed revolutionary organizer and subsequently a political prisoner. He spent 27 years of his youth in prison (eight years were spent in solitary confinement). Ji Jaga was one of the many victims of J. Edgar Hoover’s COINTELPRO program.
Geronimo ji Jaga always maintained his innocence. During his incarceration he studied law and steadfastly built his defense against his accusers. With Attorneys Stuart Hanlon and Johnnie L. Cochran by his side his case was finally dismissed June 10, 1997. His resilience and determination to seek justice has made him an international symbol of courage, integrity and honor. He continues to work on behalf of innocent men and women who are wrongfully incarcerated in addition to his work with the Kuji Foundation Inc.
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Early years
Pratt was raised in Louisiana. He claims to have witnessed lynchings and intimidation by groups such as the Ku Klux Klan. He served in the Vietnam War and came to Los Angeles, using the GI Bill to go to UCLA. When Pratt joined the Black Panthers, his years in the army were useful, and he rose to be Minister of Defense.
The Murder of Caroline Olson
In 1968, Caroline Olson was murdered by gunshot during a robbery on a Santa Monica tennis court. Olson's husband, who was also shot but survived, identified another man as the killer at first. Julio Butler, a Black Panther and police informant, fingered Geronimo Pratt as the killer. Butler lied on the stand about his relationship with law enforcement. In 1970 Pratt was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping. It is believed that the arrest was part of a campaign of harassment by the FBI as part of the COINTELPRO operations.
Freedom
In 1997 Pratt was freed because a judge ruled that his trial was unfair. In April 2000 he won a settlement for $4.5 million. He has participated in rallies in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whom he had met when both were active as Black Panthers.
References
- Olson, Jack. (2001). Last Man Standing : The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt. ISBN 0385493681