Summary prepared by Fielding M. McGehee III. If you use this material, please credit The Jonestown Institute. Thank you.
To read the Tape Transcript, click here. Listen to MP3 (Pt. 1, Pt. 2).
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FBI Catalogue Identified Individuals Speaking
FBI preliminary tape identification note: One Tracs 90/ “Press Conf re: Classes” “Instructions from JJ” 3×5 card
Date cues on tape: July 1976
People named:
Part 1:
Eldridge Cleaver
Kathleen Cleaver (speaks)
Cecil Williams, Methodist minister at Glide Church (speaks)
Willie Brown, State Assemblyman (speaks)
Will Holder, head of Prisoners Union (speaks)
Spurgeon Avakian, Alameda County Judge
Michael Kennedy, Bay Area lawyer
Charles Garry, Bay Area lawyer
Carlton Goodlett, San Francisco publisher and doctor
Part 2:
Mike Prokes (speaks)
Richard Tropp
Arthur
Ava (likely Cobb)
Darrel
Grace (likely Stoen)
Jack
Janet
Kay (speaks)
Mike
Teri Buford
Debbie Evans
Debbie Harvey
Bible verses cited: None
Summary:
(This tape was transcribed by Heather Shannon. The editors gratefully acknowledge her invaluable assistance.)
This tape consists of three separate parts, only the first of which is significant. In it, Jim Jones joins other civic and political leaders of San Francisco in a press conference to call for Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver to be released on bail pending trial on charges of attempted murder, following Cleaver’s return from exile.
In the second part, Jones discusses the conference with two or three aides, including his public relations manager Mike Prokes. The discussion is mostly without context, and with many unintelligible words and sentences.
Similarly, the third part of the tape is a conversation with a woman named Kay, but – as before – much of it is without context, and with many unintelligible words and sentences, it reveals little of the Temple story.
Kay does note what has become a standard complaint in the Temple, that she does nothing but work, and hasn’t done anything but work for three or four years, and when a friend suggested they go to a movie the previous weekend, she went, even though she felt guilt about it afterwards. Joes says he doesn’t go to the movies or even watch TV, not only because he doesn’t get anything out of it, but because he can’t help but reflect upon the poor black people out there who don’t even have enough to eat. “But I don’t criticize you people for that,” he adds.
FBI Summary:
Date of transcription: 3/23/79
In connection with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s investigation into the assassination of U.S. Congressman LEO J. RYAN at Port Kaituma, Guyana, South America, on November 18, 1978, a tape recording was obtained. This tape recording was located in Jonestown, Guyana, South America, and was turned over to U.S. Officials in Guyana and subsequently transported to the United States.
On March 19, 1979, Special Agent (name deleted) reviewed the tape number 1B62 #113. This tape was found to contain the following:
A press conference concerning ELDRIDGE CLEAVER and a strategy meeting.
This tape was reviewed and nothing was contained thereon which was considered to be of evidentiary nature or beneficial to the investigation of Congressman RYAN.
Differences with FBI Summary:
The summary is accurate and meets the FBI’s purposes.
Tape originally posted December 2022.