Since the 60s, Laura Whitehorn has been active in struggles from the civil rights movement to supporting the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Movement and the New Afrikan Independence Movement, to fighting the KKK and organized white supremacy, supporting the Puerto Rican Independence, struggle and fighting for the liberation of women, gays and lesbians.

While living in Boston, she helped to organize a network of white anti racists to aid Black families defending thier homes against racist attacks during the anti busing offensive in the 1970's. In 1971, Laura helped to organize and lead a militant takeover and occupation of a Harvard University building by nearly 400 women to protest the war in Vietnam and to demand a womens center. She also helped to found the Boston/Cambridge Women's School, worked to support people in prison (particularly durring the Attica prison uprising and its aftermath), and was active with Native American and Puerto Rican's struggle for sovereignty.

While living in NY, Laura worked to expose the illegal COINTELPRO (Counter Intelligence Program) of the FBI, was a member of the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and the Madame Binh Graphics Collective. At this time, Laura also worked in solidarity with the liberation movements in Zimbabwe and Azania/South Africa and Palestine.

By 1975, she was a part of an anti-imperialist delegation of women to visit Vietnam. A few years later, Laura joined the revolutionary clandestine movement because she feels justice is worth fighting for, and because she realizes that the US government uses the full force of repression to destroy developing opposition.

Eventually arrested in 1985, she became a defendant in the Resistance Conspiracy Case, she was charged with... "conspiracy to oppose, protest and change the policies and practices of the United States government in domestic and international matters by violence and illegal means." She spend fourteen years in prison, and was released on parole on August 6th 1999.

Along with political prisoners Marilyn Buck and David Gilbert, Laura Whitehorn was interviewed by comrades from the Resistance in Brooklyn group. These interviews were all published in the booklet Enemies of the State, available from Kersplebedeb for $3. Click here for more information.
 

Other Writings by Laura Whitehorn available online

• Address to John Brown 2000 Gathering , also organized by the fine folks from Resistance in Brooklyn
• Legal Issues for Women in Federal Prisons , with Marilyn Buck (1996)
• Shawnee Unit - A Control Unit For Women , with Silvia Baraldini, Susan Rosenberg, and Marilyn Buck