Mumia Abu-Jamal
Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook on April 24, 1954) is an American activist. He was convicted and given the death penalty for the 1981 murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (U.S.). Before his arrest, he was a Black Panther Party member, taxi driver, and journalist. Since he was found guilty, his case has been popular around the world, and he has become a controversial cultural icon. Many people disagree on whether it is right for him to receive the death penalty, if he is guilty, or if he had a fair trial. While he was in prison, he has published several books and other commentaries, notably Live from Death Row (1995). As of 2013, Abu-Jamal is still in prison. His legal appeals are not settled, and he is a prisoner at State Correctional Institution Greene near Waynesburg, Pennsylvania.