Home / Crime and Justice / Black Power Icon H. Rap Brown Dies at 82 in Prison
Black Power Icon H. Rap Brown Dies at 82 in Prison
25 Nov
Summary
- H. Rap Brown, Black Power leader, died Sunday at age 82.
- He was serving a life sentence for a 1999 murder conviction.
- His family questioned the fairness of his trial for decades.
H. Rap Brown, a prominent leader during the Black Power movement and later known as Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, has died at the age of 82. He passed away on Sunday at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina, where he was serving a life sentence. Brown was convicted in 2002 for the murder of Deputy Sheriff Ricky Kinchen, an event that occurred during a 2000 arrest attempt outside his Atlanta home.
Throughout his decades of imprisonment, Brown's family voiced persistent doubts regarding the fairness of his trial, suggesting potential government conspiracy. Known for his fiery rhetoric in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he once stated that violence was "as American as cherry pie." His activism included roles as chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and minister of justice for the Black Panther Party.
After a prior prison term for a 1971 shootout, Brown converted to Islam, adopted the name Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin, and upon release, became an Imam in Atlanta. His conviction for the shooting that killed Deputy Kinchen and injured Deputy Aldranon English remains a point of contention, fueling ongoing debates about justice and due process.
