More than 75 essays—many freshly composed by Mumia with the cartridge of a ball-point pen, the only implement he is allowed in his death-row cell—embody the calm and powerful words of humanity spoken by a man on Death Row. Abu-Jamal writes on many different topics, including the ironies that abound within the U.S. prison system and the consequences of those ironies, and his own case. Mumia's composure, humor, and connection to the living world around him represents an irrefutable victory over the "corrections" system that has for two decades sought to isolate and silence him.
The title, All Things Censored, refers to Mumia's hiring as an on-air columnist by National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," and subsequent banning from that venue under pressure from law and order groups.
“To some, Abu-Jamal, convicted in the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer, is a cold-blooded cop killer, but to his supporters, the death-row inmate is a hero, wrongly condemned by a racist system. In this collection of forceful prison essays and radio talks written over the last decade (a sequel to Live from Death Row and Death Blossoms), former Black Panther Abu-Jamal maintains that he was targeted by the state because of his political beliefs and associations … Whatever one thinks of Abu-Jamal's guilt or innocence, his attack on capital punishment as a discriminatory, racist practice is compelling, as his critique of our bloated prison system, which, according to an American Bar Association report cited here, is self-defeating because dehumanizing conditions produce more criminals.” –Publishers Weekly
“When Abu-Jamal is censored, everyone's civil rights are threatened. Let freedom ring; let Abu-Jamal speak.” –Booklist
“The first time I heard a tape of one of Mumia's radio broadcasts, it was the first time I fully understood why the government was so intent on putting him to death.” –Assata Shakur
“Sharply observed, thoughtful and passionate, [Abu-Jamal's essays] come together in a collection that should be required reading for anyone who wants to have a real understanding of what goes on once you collide with the law, especially if you are black and poor.” –Richard Stratton, New York Law Journal
