For the past 47 years, Black August is a month we take to recommit and rededicate ourselves to the struggle to free all political prisoners and prisoners of war. The tradition was first celebrated in San Quentin Prison in 1979 in remembrance of George Jackson’s assassination by prison guards there on August 21, 1971. George’s assassination took place in the middle of an unprecedented period of prison rebellions: there were over 15 reported in 1968 and 48 reported in 1972.
August is a heavy month in the Black/New Afrikan liberation struggle in general: from the Haitian Revolution and Nat Turner’s Revolt to the Watts Rebellion and the birthdays of Fred Hampton, Debbie Sims Africa, Mutulu Shakur, Chokwe Lumumba, and others.
Whether you’ve honored Black August before or this is your first time hearing about it, you’re encouraged to pull up to this community teach-in led by prison organizers with the Indianapolis Liberation Center, PSL Indianapolis, Shaka Shakur Freedom Campaign, and New Afrikan Freedom Campaign.
We’ll learn about George Jackson and read his words, think about the lessons we can learn from previous iterations of the prison movement, and continue strategizing about freeing political prisoners and prisoners of war.