Jason Hammond, 28, a resident of Chicago, was arrested on July 11th, 2013 for allegedly being involved in the interruption of a meeting of white supremacists in Tinley Park, over a year ago. Jason Hammond is a talented musician and a respected popular educator. If convicted, he faces up to 7 years in prison. He was being held in Cook County Jail with an unreasonably high cash bail of $ 100,000, but has recently been bonded out thanks to the help of friends, family and supporters.
Jason and his twin Jeremy had a stimulating and creative childhood in the west suburb of Villa Park. Jason found music to be his life passion and Jeremy became well-known for his aptitude in computer programs. Since the age of 15, Jason worked consistently at a music store and school in his hometown of Villa Park. There, he taught a plethora of string instruments to an average of 30 students per week. In addition to teaching music, Jason has been performing in bands since he was 16 and has been deeply involved in local band circuits of diverse musical genres. Jason has recorded many CDs and toured the country performing.
Jason was quick to value equality and he always stood up for people's rights. After Jason began college in 2003 he committed his life to social justice activism. This manifested itself in his day to day experiences, as he became involved in the anti-war movement, attending marches and community organizing. He used his creative talents to help educate and inspire people through popular music lessons. He also volunteered at a food distribution program for low income families, which he was still involved in up until the day of his arrest. Jason demonstrated solidarity directly with the immigrant, student and workers' rights, environmental justice and the LGBTQ movements. His reasons for doing so?
“Everyone deserves a fair opportunity to lead a good and meaningful life and at the moment we have a long way to go before this is achieved. Sometimes we cry, other times we rejoice, but we must rise to the challenge and work through these difficult endeavors to create a beautiful and free society.”
Please support Jason in this time of need, he is a very valued member of our community.
