Step 1: Donate to P2 Defense Committee here (sugg. donation $40)

Step 2: Register for “On Political Prisoners & Defense” here”

What is the difference between supporting and defending political prisoners? Come learn from members of the Pendleton 2 Defense Committee, who will discuss the Pendleton 2 case, how the defense committee was formed, as well as what political principles and strategies have grounded and guided their work. Participants will have the opportunity to hear a few words directly from the prisoners themselves, as well as learn how to plug into ongoing efforts to free them.

Christopher “Naeem” Trotter served four years in the u.s. military as a young man, only to return home in 1983 and catch a case for his first ever offense of petty theft. He was three months away from being released and was looking forward to reuniting with his family and meeting his newborn daughter when he stood up to save his friend during the 1985 Pendleton Uprising. He was sentenced to 142 years, 20 of which he endured in solitary confinement. In 2021, his sentence was vacated, but the re-sentencing judge handed Naeem a new sentence of 122 years. Naeem is a mentor to younger prisoners and an avid chess player.

John “Balagoon” Cole was born in Indianapolis, IN on November 17th, 1959. He was sent to Indiana State Prison (Michigan City) in 1979 where he was politicized by other prisoners and was subsequently transferred to the Indiana State Reformatory in 1984. For his role in the 1985 Uprising, he was sentenced to 84 years, 32 of which he endured in solitary confinement.

TooBlack is a poet, scholar, organizer and filmmaker who blends critical analysis with biting sarcasm. He is the co-author of Laundering Black Rage: The Washing of Black Death, People, Property, and Profits and host of the Black Myths Podcast, a podcast debunking the BS said about Black people. He is a member of the Defense Committee to Free the Pendleton 2 and is also co-director of the documentary film The Pendleton 2: They Stood Up.

maya (they/she) is an abolitionist organizer and a member of the Pendleton 2 Defense Committee. They are also a member of Black Alliance for Peace Midwest, a trained grief & death doula who supports harm reduction/destigmatized drug use, and an aspiring nurse.