Black August is a month to commemorate and tell the history of those African men and women brutalized, locked up, and killed by the U.S. criminal justice system. Those courageous freedom fighters sacrificed their livelihood in the ongoing struggle for liberation and a better life for all humanity.
Black August is the month we recall the great loss exacted upon our Black revolutionary movement with the assassination of George Jackson and his younger brother, Jonathan Jackson.
George Jackson was 28 years old when he was murdered at San Quentin State Prison on Aug. 21, 1971. His writings from prison shed light on the harsh realities of prison life, systemic racism, and the struggles faced by incarcerated individuals. On the day of his memorial service in 1971 at St. Augustine’s church in West Oakland, there were 200 Black Panthers in full uniform while 8,000 people listened outside, perched on rooftops, hanging from telephone poles, and filling the streets. As George Jackson’s body was brought out, the people raised their fists in the air and chanted, “Long Live George Jackson.”
Black August is commemorated in cities nationally and around the world. In San Diego, we highlighted historical markers of Black resistance in August past and present. We emphasized that historic acts of struggle, resistance, and courage occur every month of the year, every day of the week, every hour of every day by workers and oppressed people all over the world; our Resistance is essential.
“Philly’s 7th Ward,” a drawing by Kevin “Rashid” Johnson.
Kevin ‘Rashid’ Johnson
Artist and co-founder of the New African Black Panther Party, Kevin “Rashid” Johnson, convicted in 1990 of murder at 18 years old, has maintained his innocence throughout his 34 years in prison. Politicized in prison, Johnson is an accomplished political theoretician, organizer, and artist whose art honors Black freedom fighters and political prisoners.
Johnson was born in Richmond, Virginia, 35 miles from the English colony of Jamestown, Virginia, where the first dark-skinned African enslaved captives were chained. Stolen captives of a vicious race war against Black life by the merchant princes of Europe were unloaded in August 1619.
Johnson’s drawing entitled “Philly’s 7th Ward” is a thought-provoking tribute honoring ancestors George and Jonathan Jackson, Fred Hampton, Huey Newton, Harriet Tubman, Safiya Bukhari, Russell Maroon Shoats, Dr. Mutulu Shakur, Major Tillery (who remains in prison ‘41 years’), the Haitian Revolution, and the MOVE 9.
The MOVE 9
Aug. 8, 1978, after a 15-month armed police standoff with the Philadelphia-based naturalist “MOVE” organization, the police raided MOVE, killing one of their own in police crossfire, nine men and women were charged with murder, and sentenced to 30 to 100 years in prison. Two MOVE 9 members died in prison–Merle Africa and Phil Africa–seven were released. Of the seven released, two have since joined the ancestors, and four are continuing the fight for justice and freedom for all prisoners.
Michael Africa, Jr.–son of Mike Africa, Sr. and Debbie Simms Africa, two of the MOVE 9 political prisoners–was born in a prison cell in 1978, raised within the MOVE organization family, and began working to free his parents at 13 years old. With the help of the teachings of John Africa–love, courage, and determination–he successfully got his parents released, as well as all the remaining MOVE 9 political prisoners, after 27-plus years of struggle. Mike Africa tells his powerful, captivating story in his book “On A Move: A Native Son’s Battle for Justice,” released Aug. 6, 2024.
In San Diego, Black August Political Education (PE) events were held by the Association of Raza Educators (ARE), the San Diego Black Panther Party, and the San Diego Coalition to Free Mumia Abu-Jamal. Each event emphasized the meaning of Black August highlighting historical markers of Black Resistance beginning with the assassination of George Jackson and his teenage brother Jonathan Jackson.
Hands off Uhuru!
During the Black Panther Party panel discussion, Matsemela Odom, president of InPDUM, gave an update on the case of the Uhuru 3 and the African People’s Socialist Party (APSP). The Uhuru 3–APSP Chairman Omali Yeshitela, Penny Hess, and Jesse Nevel–face up to 15 years in prison for exercising their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The Uhuru 3 case has global support and has sparked an emerging global anti-colonial free speech movement.
“The U.S. government has put us in the position of having to fight for free speech that they claim is the cornerstone of U.S. democracy,” said Chairman Yeshitela.
The Uhuru 3 are encouraging people to show up on Aug. 31 and participate in the “Not One Step Backwards March” in St. Petersburg, Florida. The trial begins Sept. 3 in Tampa. It is important for people to show up for this historic trial.
There are many more historical markers of resistance in August, many of which are listed in Mumia Abu-Jamal’s commentary “Black August 2003.”
Honorable Marcus Garvey, born Aug. 17, 1887, the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), inspired millions of Africans around the world with his ideas of Pan-Africanism.
Long Distance Revolutionary Mumia Abu-Jamal’s death warrant was signed twice by Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge: Aug. 17, 1995, the birthday of the Honorable Marcus Garvey (Aug. 17, 1887), and Dec. 2, 1999, the day abolitionist John Brown was executed (Dec. 2, 1859). On both occasions, protests were held around the world. The death sentences were dropped in December 2011. After 30 years on death row, Mumia’s sentence was commuted to life in prison with no possibility of parole.
Black August is a time to strengthen our commitment to end mass incarceration, free all political prisoners, and end death by incarceration.
The words of Ho Chi Minh
Recall the words of Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary president of Vietnam:
People who come out of prison can build up the country. Misfortune is the test of people’s fidelity. Those who protest at injustice are people of true merit. When the prison doors are opened the real dragons will fly out.
The San Diego Coalition to Free Mumia and “Do For Self” will host the final Black August event in San Diego at the Malcolm X Library on Saturday, Aug. 24. We will screen the film Black August and have an open discussion about the film. All three events were free and open to the public.
Long Live the spirit of George Jackson.
Free Mumia, Leonard Peltier, and all political prisoners! Shut down the Prison-Industrial Complex, and abolish the death penalty and death by incarceration!
Hands off Uhuru, hands off Palestine, Hands off Haiti.
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