Brown U. acquires trove of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s prison papers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Brown University has acquired a trove of records, writings and artwork from Mumia Abu-Jamal. The prominent political activist is serving a life sentence in the 1981 shooting death of a Philadelphia police officer. The Ivy League university in Rhode Island says the collection documents Abu-Jamal’s trial, prison and death row experience. It gained him global recognition as a face of the movement against the death penalty. Philadelphia prosecutors in 2011 dropped the death penalty case against Abu-Jamal. Brown University says the collection of more than 60 boxes of materials spans the years 1981 to 2020. It says the materials will anchor a new library collection focused on incarceration.