 Abu @-@ Jamal was given the name Mumia in 1968 by his high school teacher , a Kenyan instructing a class on African cultures in which students took African classroom names . According to Abu @-@ Jamal , ' Mumia ' means " Prince " and was the name of Kenyan anti @-@ colonial African nationalists who fought against the British before Kenyan independence . He adopted the surname Abu @-@ Jamal ( " father of Jamal " in Arabic ) after the birth of his son Jamal on July 18 , 1971 . His first marriage at age 19 , to Jamal 's mother , <unk> , was short @-@ lived . Their daughter , <unk> , was born shortly after the wedding . Abu @-@ Jamal married his second wife , Marilyn ( known as " <unk> " ) , in 1977 . Their son , <unk> , was born in early 1978 . By 1981 , Abu @-@ Jamal was living with his third and current wife , <unk> . 
