NAARPR: What is it?

The National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression was founded in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois to mount organized action against unjust treatment of individuals because of race or political beliefs. Its founding grew out of the struggle to free Angela Davis from a racist frame-up on murder charges surrounding the aborted attempt by Jonathan Jackson to free his brother, George Jackson and the Soledad Brothers in 1970.

The organization and its regional chapters have the following goals:

Establish Civilian Control of Police

From its inception the NAARPR has campaigned against police crimes committed primarily against the poor and people of color. The Alliance initiated a campaign to Stop Police Crimes. Victims of those crimes and their families are actively involved. The Alliance is organizing for passage of legislation to establish an elected Civilian Police Accountability Council that holds police officers accountable for crimes such as assault, murder, torture, and racial profiling.

Free Political Prisoners and the Innocent

Over the years the NAARPR has successfully campaigned for the release of many persons falsely charged and sentenced to death or to long prison terms. We, in alliance with mass progressive organizations, led the struggle for freedom of the Wilmington Ten, Tchula Mississippi Mayor Eddie Carthan, Delbert Tibbs, and many others. We campaign to end the unjust imprisonment of Leonard Peltier, and leaders of the Black Panther Party who remain in prison.

Stop all Police Torture of Suspects

Chicago police have tortured hundreds of Black and Latino men. We are struggling for hearings and new trials for those who remain incarcerated. We have investigated many of their cases. We are convinced they are innocent and were convicted only by confessions made under torture. We were part of the struggle for the release of Nicole Harris, a young Chicago mother coerced to confess to killing her own young child. We are also struggling for freedom for Derrick Searcy, James Harris, Michael Harris, Clayborn Smith, Charles Solo Harris and a host of others.

Abolish the Death Penalty

The U.S.A. has more people on death row than any other country in the world. The NAARPR works with other organizations to end the death penalty. The abolition of the death penalty in Illinois has helped thrust this issue on the national agenda, resulting in the introduction of several National Death Penalty Moratorium bills in Congress. Fifteen states have abolished capital punishment.

For a full list of goals, please visit the NAARPR website.