Micheal Manning- The Final Chapter

by Diane Manning & Leroy F. Moore Jr.

Diane Manning, mother of Michael Manning, wrote in her August 16, 2005 email to friends and allies "The Final Chapter has been written!" She is talking about the seven year battle for justice on behalf of her disabled son in which Poor Magazine, San Francisco Bay View Newspaper and I stood beside the Manning family in the early beginnings to uncover and bring to the media the injustice that was handed down from the justice system to this family who at that time had very little media attention. Thank God for the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper, the only Black Newspaper who has consistently gave room to the voice of African Americans with disabilities in our society facing blunt discrimination in every arena i.e. the justice system. Diane Manning constantly acknowledge that Poor Magazine and the San Francisco Bay View Newspaper were the only ones that exposed this story to the world and played a big part of Michael’s freedom today. For background on the case of Michael Manning check out Illin-N-Chillin at www.poormagazine.org. Michael Manning's mother wrote,

“On June 22, 2004, Michael had a Hearing in front of
Judge O'Brien. At that time Judge O'Brien released
Michael with time served. This decision was not to
the Probation Board's liking. They had 10 days to
appeal the decision, but failed to do so. They
decided to appeal the 2004 decision this year. A
Hearing was held in June of this year because the P.B.
felt that Michael should be reincarcerated & finish
his sentence. The judge heard the appeal and handed
his decision down 30 days later. The judge once again
denied the appeal. The PB then filed an appeal with
Supreme Court. We were informed today (8\23\05) that
the Supreme Court denied the appeal. PRAISE THE LORD,
it's finally over!!!! Recently, our lawyer told me
that if the PB insisted upon appealing the decision
they would be the losers & that's exactly what
happened.”

So after being attack by two young men one with a baseball bat and another with a knife at a gasoline station in the village of Scotrun, PA., on June 16th 1997 then being accused of murder by a disabled white judge who come to find out used racist comments in cases involving other African Americans and DA, Mark Pazuhanich, who didn't believe Michael had a disability and actually said that "Michael was lazy and not contributing to society;" Michael ended up serving almost four years on what comes down to self-defense and faced a justice system filled with racism and disablism pouring from the Judge and the D.A., Mark Pazuhanich,

In September of 2002 I traveled to Pa, to visit Michael in prison and by the Summer of 2004 Michael and family sat in a Philadelphia's bookstore watching Molotov Mouth Outspoken Word Troup perform (which I'm a member of). After being released in December of 2003, DA, Mark Pazuhanich, was still trying to convince the courts and public that Michael should be back in jail even though he himself, the D.A. was in hot water involving inappropriate behavior with his daughter and other unlawful activities.

What is important now is that the Manning family is back to "normal" and today Michael has continued with his career in the music industry. Diane Manning, the catalyst of Michael's campaign for justice has been the author of her son's life. Michael has picked up this pen from his mother's palm to continue to write his future as a devoted son, boyfriend, advocate and member of a hip-hop\gospel group, TANAJ, who has a full length CD out entitled CALLING. Michael and his gospel group will be in the Bay Area for Harambee's Disability Awareness Weekend at Downs Memorial United Methodist Church in Oakland, CA on October 15 &16 with other local disabled visual artists, poets and special guest, Pastor S'Wayne, from Buffalo, NY who is the first disabled hip-hop artist that is a Pastor etc. As we closed this chapter of Michael’s life, I hope other African American newspapers, progressive organizations and disability organization learn from the dedication of the Manning’s’ family, Poor Magazine, The San Francisco Bay View Newspaper and the now dissolved Disability Advocates of Minorities Organization, DAMO

For more information about Harambee\Downs Memorial Untied Methodist Church Disability Awareness Weekend contact Sonia Jackson at
(510) 547-7322..