This month we honor Black August, uplifting its origins and the ongoing organizing against oppressive prison conditions led by imprisoned people that its legacy has inspired— from the Attica Prison Rebellion, the Pelican Bay Hunger Strikes, fights to shut down ICE detention centers, to resistance today. Check out our recent post (socials version here & spread the word; pdf version here) to read more about imprisoned-led resistance as part of the legacy of Black August. 

As the prison industrial complex (PIC) continually tries to expand in response to pressure from our movements, Black August serves as a compass reminding us not to settle for anything less than liberation. 

Tracing the legacy of Black August is helpful to understanding how the prison system continues to attempt expansion, often under the banner of reforms masked as progress. These attempts are designed to justify power-grabs, while co-opting, de-radicalizing, and quelling resistance efforts. The origins of Black August reground us in the system we are fighting against and insights from imprisoned-led movements over time guide our efforts today. 

The foundations of Black August rest in the legacy of Black Radical Tradition, since the moment enslaved Africans were forced to what is now the US. The term, Black August, itself originated in 1979, to honor fallen political prisoners and decades of struggle within the prison system and by Black people over time. George Jackson, who was imprisoned from 1960-1971 with an indeterminate sentence of 1 year to life, is imperative to the origin story of Black August. 

While imprisoned, Jackson, with the support of fellow comrades, transformed himself into a revolutionary leader of the Black Power Movement, studying various radical texts and raising political consciousness inside. He led study sessions on radical philosophy, organized people in California prisons, convened groups like The Third World Coalition, started the San Quentin prison chapter of the Black Panther Party, and wrote The Soledad Brother and Blood in My Eye. Part of the growth of the prison system in the 1970s-80s was to crush this growing Black-led politicization and resistance across walls. Jackson was killed in 1971 by guards at San Quentin State Prison during a prisoner rebellion. 

We honor fallen political prisoners and freedom fighters like George and Jonathan Jackson, W.L.Nolan, Fleeta Drumgo, John Clutchette, Ruchell Magee, Safiya Bukhari, Assata Shakur, and so many more, including those still in cages today. This month, we renew our commitment to political struggle toward liberation.

Onward, together. 

“Discover your humanity and your love of revolution.” - George Jackson