Jennifer Meeropol is the granddaughter of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and the daughter of RFC Founder, Robert Meeropol. Jenn became the Executive Director of the RFC on September 1, 2013. Prior posts on this page were written by Robert (unless otherwise noted), and represent his opinions, which are not necessarily shared by the RFC.
Earlier this week I read that Lynne Stewart, the radical lawyer who is serving a ten-year prison for distributing press releases on behalf of a client who was convicted of terrorist conspiracy, had been recommended for compassionate release to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Lynne, a 73-year-old grandmother is terminally ill with stage IV breast cancer. Later I heard that although the Warden at her prison had recommended this release, the Federal Bureau of Prisons had denied it. I don’t know whether she’ll be granted compassionate release any time soon.
On May 2nd the FBI placed Assata Shakur on its “Most Wanted Terrorists” list. Simultaneously the New Jersey State Police increased its bounty on her from one to two million dollars.
Next week will be a nervous time for me at the RFC because we should receive a flood of ticket orders for our program CARRY IT FORWARD: Celebrate the Children of Resistance. We’ve been planning this dramatic event to mark the 60th anniversary of my parents’ execution, for more than a year. The venue (Town Hall) is set, the script is written, the headliners are on board, the sound and lights teams are
On Monday, April 22nd, the RFC lost one old friend and I found out about the passing of another. They are both on my mind.
During the summer of 1990 my wife Elli and I, along with a small group that evolved into the RFC’s initial Board of Directors, planned to launch our granting fund. We arranged for a “Kick-off Benefit Concert” that was scheduled to take place in October. I utilized my national contacts to line up the performers. Richie Havens was one of the first people I contacted and he graciously agreed to perform for free.
It has been a decade since the RFC made its first grants to support the children of activists trying to force the U.S. Navy from using the tiny Puerto Rican island of Vieques as a bombing range. RFC Board Member Rafael Rodriguez (now Board Chair) became actively engaged in the struggle. The RFC has been supporting the children of targeted Vieques activists ever since.