The War Before: The True Life Story of Becoming a Black Panther, Keeping the Faith in Prison, and Fighting for Those Left Behind

From the Black Panthers to political prisoners, one woman's politics paves the way for today's breakthroughs.


About the Author
Born in Harlem, Safiya Bukhari joined the Black Panther Party in 1969. Imprisoned for nine years, Bukhari then co-founded the New York Free Mumia Abu-jamal Coalition and was co-chair of the Jericho Movemnet to Free US Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War. She died in 2003.

Laura Whitehorn was a member of the Weather Underground, a supporter of the Black Civil Rights Movement, and the struggle for Puerto Rican independence. She worked to expose the illegal COINTELPRO of the FBI. Arrested in 1985, she became a defendant in the Resistance Conspiracy Case. She spent fourteen years in prison and was released in 1999.

Born in Harlem, Wonda Jones is the daughter of Safiya Bukhari. Jones is the director of the Safiya Bukhari - Albert Nuh Washington Foundation, which raises funds for the families of US political prisoners. She is also a nurse and consultant to Field Up Productions, an independent film company that produces documentaries and dramatic features focusing on the Civil Rights era.