Dhoruba bin Wahad facts for kids

Dhoruba al-Mujahid bin Wahad, born Richard Earl Moore in 1944, is an American writer and activist. He was a leader in the Black Panther Party and helped start the Black Liberation Army. His name, Dhoruba, means "the storm" in the Swahili language.

Dhoruba's Early Life

Richard Earl Moore was in Comstock Prison when he heard that Malcolm X had been killed. Moore greatly admired Malcolm X. He felt Malcolm X was smart and thoughtful. Moore had been reading Malcolm X's ideas and speeches. He had even thought about joining Malcolm X's group after prison.

Moore was shocked by Malcolm X's death. Like many others, he believed Malcolm X was killed by enemies. These enemies included people from the Nation of Islam and law enforcement. Moore decided to honor Malcolm X. He wanted to "think like Malcolm X" and use his ideas in his own life.

Because of this, Moore became a Muslim. He changed his name to Dhoruba al-Mujahid bin Wahad. He also started reading many political books. These included history books like The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon. He also read novels like Exodus by Leon Uris.

Events in New York City

On May 19, 1971, two New York City Police Department officers were shot. Their names were Thomas Curry and Nicholas Binetti. They were guarding the home of Frank S. Hogan. He was the Manhattan district attorney, a top lawyer for the city. Someone shot at them from a car using a machine gun. The officers survived but were badly hurt. They were shot in the head, neck, chest, and stomach.

This shooting happened during a time of much tension. There was violence between black activist groups and the New York City police. Two days later, two more NYPD officers were killed. Officers Waverly Jones and Joseph Piagentini were shot in Harlem.

Wahad was arrested. He was first charged with robbing a social club. Later, he was charged with trying to murder officers Curry and Binetti.

Trials and Time in Prison

Wahad had three trials for the shooting of the police guards.

• His first trial ended with a hung jury. This means the jury could not agree on a verdict.
• His second trial was a mistrial. This means it had to be stopped and restarted.
• In 1973, his third trial ended with a guilty verdict. He was sentenced to twenty-five years to life in prison.

Wahad spent a total of nineteen years in prison. While he was in prison, he learned about COINTELPRO. This was a secret operation by the F.B.I.. It was designed to watch and disrupt political groups.

In December 1975, Wahad sued the F.B.I. and the New York City police. Because of his lawsuit, the F.B.I. released over 300,000 pages of documents. These documents were about COINTELPRO.

Release from Prison

The COINTELPRO documents helped Wahad appeal his conviction. On March 15, 1990, a judge named Peter J. McQuillan reversed his conviction. The judge ruled that the prosecution had hidden evidence. This evidence could have helped Wahad's defense.

The Manhattan District Attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, wanted to appeal the ruling. He also planned for a new trial if his appeal failed. However, Wahad was set free without bail.

Morgenthau's appeal was rejected by a higher court. On January 20, 1995, the Manhattan district attorney's office said there would be no new trial. They stated that the evidence they had would make a new trial impossible.

Life After Prison

After his release, Wahad lived in Accra, Ghana. There, he worked on ideas about Pan-Africanism and the prison system. Pan-Africanism is the idea that all people of African descent should unite.

Wahad received money from his lawsuits against the FBI and New York City. He used this money to start two organizations:

• The Campaign to Free Black and New African Political Prisoners.
• The Institute for the Development of Pan-African Policy in Ghana.

Today, Dhoruba al-Mujahid bin Wahad lives in New York City. He continues his work as an activist.

Encounter with "New" Black Panther Party

On August 19, 2015, Bin Wahad and a friend were attacked. The attack came from a group called the "New" Black Panther Party. Bin Wahad was at a conference in Atlanta, Georgia. He confronted the group about using the Black Panther name. He also questioned their way of speaking.

Bin Wahad and his friend were told to leave. When they refused, Bin Wahad was attacked. He suffered a concussion, a broken jaw, and cuts. This event led Elbert "Big Man" Howard, a founding member of the original Black Panthers, to speak out. He called the "New" Black Panther Party "thugs."