DACS

omowalejomo Inventory of the Jomo Joka Omowale Papers, 1969-2008 Processed by: Meghan Lyon; machine-readable finding aid created by: Meghan Lyon David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, N.C., USA

Aleph Number: 004674051

Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: February 2011Processed by Meghan Lyon, February 2011; finding aid encoded by Meghan Lyon, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, February 2011 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS and local Style Guide Inventory of the Jomo Joka Omowale Papers, 1969-2008 David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Omowale, Jomo Joka. Jomo Joka Omowale Papers, 1969-2008 Material in English 25.0 Linear Feet 18750 Items For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Jomo Joka Omowale, born as Cleveland McKinley Davis and also known as Eric Thompson, is a parolee in North Carolina who spent much of his life imprisoned in New York and Virginia. He was a leader of the Attica prison riot in 1971. Collection includes court transcripts, legal papers and correspondence, court documents, press coverage and clippings, and internal prison policies and procedures from Omowale's many years in various prisons. Cases include armed robbery in Virginia, the Attica riots and subsequent trials, three trials regarding a police shooting in Brooklyn, and a murder of a drug dealer in Virginia. Omowale was convicted in the final case, and his pursuit of parole in Virginia following the elimination of parole in the 1990s is another significant component of the collection. Other materials include prisoner poetry and writings, personal correspondence between Jomo and his family, prisoner poetry, Attica Brothers Legal Defense materials, and court documents regarding a White Panther Party trial in 1970. Also includes hundreds of mugshots from New York. Acquired as part of the Human Rights Archive (Duke University). Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

However, collection may contain materials to which the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibilities and Privacy Rights form applies. Patrons must sign this form before using this collection.

Also, all or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Jomo Joka Omowale Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Provenance

The Jomo Joka Omowale Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 2011.

Processing Information

Processed by Meghan Lyon, February 2011

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, February 2011

This collection is minimally processed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Accessions in this finding aid: 2011-0026

Biographical Note Chronology List 1942 April 10 Born as son of sharecroppers, Infield, North Carolina. Grew up in Virginia Beach, Virginia. 1961 Married Bobbi Lee Forman. They divorced in 1978. 1961-1963 Jailed for burglary, Princess Ann Jail, Virginia. 1968 Arrested in Virginia for robbery; escaped and went to New York. 1968 Arrested in New York for robbery, sent to Sing Sing Prison. 1970 Transferred to Auburn Prison, New York. 1970-1971 Involved in Black Panther Party in Auburn Prison; transferred to Attica Prison. 1971 September Involved in Attica Prison riots: Controled the "D" Door. Was shot 6 times when police stormed the prison. 1971 Vincent Doyle took over Davis defense in Attica trial and appointed Elizabeth Gaynes as counsel. 1973 Davis accepted "Alfred plea" for time served and was released from New York. He returned to Virginia to complete his sentence there. He then returned to New York to complete his time for his initial sentence, and was paroled in New York. 1975 Governor of New York pardoned Davis for his involvement in the Attica Prison riots. 1976 Married Elizabeth Gaynes. 1978 April 2 Involved in a shooting in Brooklyn, NY, which ended with the death of two police officers and Dalou, an aquaintance of Davis. Davis was also shot. He was arrested for the murders and was severely beaten en route to the hospital, requiring reconstructive surgery on his face. His vision was permanently impaired. 1978-1980 Davis was tried 3 times for the murders of the policemen and Dalou. The first 2 trials ended with hung juries, and he was acquitted the third time and released. 1983 Davis and Gaynes separated. He moved to Virginia Beach, where he was involved (with 2 others) in an attempted robbery of drug dealer Robert Stith. Stith was killed during the robbery. Davis was wounded in the leg. He fled to Washington and then went on to New York. 1984-1985 Davis was a fugitive on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list. His co-defendents entered guilty pleas. 1985-1986 Davis was captured and tried for murder and robbery. He was sentenced to prison, to be eligible for parole in 10-11 years. 1990s-2007 Repeatedly denied parole under Virginia's law eliminating parole. 2008 Paroled. Moved to North Carolina to live near his children. Collection Overview

Collection includes legal documentation and court transcripts from Omowale's various trials, including Attica-related trials and the subsequent lawsuits brought by the Attica Brothers. Also represented are court cases from his armed robbery conviction in Virginia Beach; his repeated murder trials in New York regarding police shootings (and his lawsuits against New York following his acquittal from those shootings); and his murder conviction in Virginia in 1985. Also included are many materials from his wife and attorney, Elizabeth Gaynes, particularly regarding his legal defense in those trials as well as her attempts to gain his parole in Virginia in the 1990s and 2000s.

Other materials in the collection include personal correspondence between Omowale and Elizabeth Gaynes, as well as correspondence between him and other family members, in particular his daughter, Emani. Other correspondence exists between him and other Attica Brothers, regarding the Attica trials and the lawsuits that followed. Photographs, particularly of mugshots, are another significant component of the collection. The remainder of the materials are prison writings; publicity and press coverage of Jomo Joka Omowale's many court cases; news clippings about him, parole, and other related topics; and miscellaneous documents collected by Omowale during his time in prison.

Acquired as part of Duke University's Human Rights Archive.

Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Omowale, Jomo Joka. Thompson, Eric. Davis, Cleveland M. Gaynes, Elizabeth. Attica Defense Committee. Attica Correctional Facility. Prison riots--New York. Trial practice--New York. Trial practice--Virginia. Murder--New York. Murder--Virginia. Trials (Murder)--New York. Trials (Murder)--Virginia. Black Panther Party. Transcripts. Preliminary Description of Collection Attica Prison Riot and Trials, 1969-2001 (7 boxes)

Includes clippings with coverage of Black Panther Party, Attica riots and trials of Attica Brothers, as well as coverage of the lawsuits filed by the Attica Brothers against New York. Includes legal correspondence and documents, proceedings, motions, and orders from the court cases following the Attica riots. Also contains Attica Brothers Legal Defense materials, as well as legal documents from a White Panther Party case from 1970. Finally, includes witness files from the Wade Hearing held in 1975.

1Black Panther Party clippings, 1969-1975 and undated Attica/Auburn Department of Corrections files, 1970-1972 Court papers: John Sinclair/White Panther Party, 1970(3 folders) Attica trial materials, approximately dated 1969-1973(18 folders) Pre-trial correspondence Grand Jury proceedings, 1972 Jury pooling Attica Brothers Indictments Autopsies and lab reports 2Attica trial(20 folders) Assignment of counsel Attica Brothers Legal Defense Motions regarding venue Trial documents: People of New York vs. Attica Brothers, 1973-1975(3 folders) State of New York vs. Eric Thompson, 1973 Legal papers 3Attica trial(21 folders) Legal papers, 1975-1976 Inmates' personal property issues Evidence/discovery issues Attica Defense Committee legal papers Jomo's notes on Attica trial, 1974 Miscellaneous petitions, etc. 4Attica materials(25 folders) Correspondence Attica Brothers defense Miscellaneous materials News clippings about the case and trials Press releases and coverage 5Attica materials(20 folders) Miscellaneous materials, including post-trial Attica Brothers Legal Defense files Court of claims, 1975-1979 Attica Brothers' lawsuits, including Omowale vs. State of New York 6Attica materials(35 folders) Lawsuits against Nelson Rockefeller, et al, 1981 Attica Brothers Legal Defense Governor pardons and lawsuit settlement, 1977-2001 Wade Hearing witness files, A-Z 7Omowale vs. New York, re: Attica, 1978 1Attica News issues, May 1974-June 1975 Attica Prison Calendar, 1974 Attica memorial book, 1974 Other Court Cases and Trials, 1971-2008 (4 boxes)

Legal documents, correspondence, and other materials relating to Omowale's non-Attica trials, including his armed robbery conviction in Virginia, his repeated murder trials in New York, and his murder trial in Virginia. Also includes a large amount of material from his quest for parole in Virginia in the 1990s and 2000s.

7New York trials, re: police shootings, 1978-1980 Coverage and clippings Virginia parole correspondence, 1980 New York vs. Davis legal documents, 1979-1980 Double jeopardy research Davis vs. Supreme Court and Eugene Gold, 1980 8Davis and Gaynes vs. State of New York, 1980-1989 Davis and Gaynes vs. Village of Menands, 1979-1985 Correspondence, legal documents, etc. Commonwealth of Virginia legal materials Armed robbery warrant correspondence, 1970-1972 Parole, 1972-1975 Appeal of conviction, 1987-1988 Habeas Corpus suits Akil Al-Jundi vs. Vincent Mancusi, 1995-2000 9Virginia parole case, 1980s-2008 Letters supporting Jomo's case for parole Parole Board decisions Parole research re: Virginia Appeals 10Virginia parole case, 1980s-2008 Letters supporting Jomo's case for parole Parole Board decisions Parole research re: Virginia Appeals Habeas Corpus case, 1990s Correspondence, Personal Papers, and Clippings (2 boxes)

Includes handwritten correspondence between Jomo Omowale and Elizabeth Gaynes, as well as by Omowale to other family members. The Attica Brothers correspondence largely discusses the trials and condition of the Attica Brothers still in prison. Also included in this series are various poems and writings, both by Omowale and other prisoners, as well as by some of Omowale's supporters. Also included are clippings and press coverage of Omowale and his court cases.

8Jomo's research and writings and notes on science, politics, race, etc. Poetry, etc., by Emani (Jomo's daughter) 11Correspondence Attica Brothers, 1970s Jomo's personal correspondence, to Gaynes and Emani Prisoner poetry and writings Press coverage and clippings Court Transcripts, 1971-1985 (5 boxes)

Court transcripts from the Attica trials and its Wade Hearing from 1975, as well as other trials both against and brought by Jomo.

12Wade Hearing re: Attica, 15 January 1975-6 February 1975 13Wade Hearing re: Attica, 10 February 1975-11 March 1975 14Wade Hearing re: Attica, 12 March 1975-26 March 1975 Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland M. Davis, Virginia Beach, 18 February 1971 Grand Jury proceedings, 4 May 1972 State of New York vs. Eric Thompson, indictments 5 and 15, 26 June 1973 Attica Brothers vs. Nelson Rockefeller, et al, 29 January 1974-31 January 1974 15State of New York vs. John Hill and Charles Pernasalice, 25 February 1974 New York vs. Eric Thompson, indictments 5, 15, 38, 39, 41, 11 March 1974 Attica Brothers vs. Nelson Rockefeller et al, 13 March 1974 Attica Brothers vs. Erie County, etc., 30 April 1974 New York vs. Eric Thompson, indictments 38, 39, 41, 6 May 1974 State of New York vs. Eric Jomo Thompson, 22 May 1974 State of New York vs. Eric Thompson, re: Bill of Particulars, 23 May 1974 State of New York vs. Eric Thompson, re: dismissal, 6 June 1974 Pre-trial conference, Supreme Court, 17 June 1974 Waiver and stipulation proceedings, 23 June 1975 Trial against Thomas Wood, 27 November 1978 Trial against Cleveland Davis, 4 April 1979-24 April 1979(4 folders) Transcript of examination of Cleveland Jomo Davis, 15 February 1985 16Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland Davis, 16 May 1985 and 31 July 1985 Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland M. Davis, 26 November 1985 Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland M. Davis, 2 December 1985 Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland Jomo Davis, 1985? (first pages missing) Commonwealth of Virginia vs. Cleveland M. Davis, 23 December 1985 Miscellaneous Files and Materials (2 boxes; 3 oversize folders)

Miscellaneous materials include correspondence, legal paperwork, fliers, and other materials. The crime scene photographs are extremely gruesome.

16Legal correspondence re: Virginia Beach armed robbery, 1971-1975 Legal papers re: Jomo vs. Sheriff Joe Smith, 1985 Miscellaneous, including personal and legal materials(11 folders) Crime scene photographs, trial unknown 20Omowale vs. State of New York, claim #59593, 1975 Prison publications and zines, 1970s and undated(3 folders)

Contains a variety of materials including black community newsletters, articles about the KKK and racial oppression, zines created by prisoners, and handouts and pamphlets about particular convicts.

Notes, legal documents from Jomo Davis Defense Committee, 1973-1983 Legal notes, documents, and correspondence, 1973-1980(6 folders) Notes, photographs of a wrecked car (case unknown), 1970s and undated Correspondence, 1974-1976 News clippings, 1975 Press and press releases, 1976-1981(2 folders) 2Oversize silhouette target sheet with several bullet holes, undated Photographic prints (probably from Attica), undated Posters denouncing New York's drug laws as racist, 1998 Mugshots (3 boxes)

Hundreds of black-and-white 3x5 inch mugshots of prisoners, which appear to have been taken from New York prisons. Prisoners are identified and some information is provided on the reverse of the photograph.

17-19Mugshots