Every Month is Black August

Editorial from George Floyd Uprising prisoner Malik commemorating Black August.

What does Black August commemorate? Well, it is a month where prisoners, specifically Black, honor George Jackson and the sacrifices he made in the California prison system. For those who don’t know, Jackson was given a 1-year-to-life term for a petty crime, as is what happened during that time with indeterminate sentences. He could have kept his head low and gotten out, but what Jackson saw as a young man in the system, was a system of oppression so bad his morals and character would not allow him to go along to get along.

Blacks at that time faced violence from guards and white supremacist groups and gangs all around. During that time, guards put glass and shit in Blacks’ food. They chained Blacks to tables and let us get stabbed by white supremacist groups. Jackson sought to change that. Jackson helped to organize the Blacks into a unit to fight back. Jackson and the other vanguard groups, BGF (Black Guerilla Family), BLA (Black Liberation Army), and the Black Panther Party, as well as the Kumi, formed the frontline to protect our people. He taught and led our people at the expense of his freedom and, ultimately, his life. He was framed for the murder of a coward guard who killed several Blacks during a riot. In fighting that case, he educated himself, taught his people, stifled several attempts on his life, wrote books, and ultimately gave his life for the people, as he left us so much, he did without question.

Jackson was so feared, as we all are, they had to portray him as a Black superman, saying he killed five guards in 30 seconds barehanded before being killed, as a way to justify it — that’s one hell of a man, so I’ll believe it! As his name echoes throughout history, those guards are not even a footnote in the life of Jackson — peanuts to an elephant.

So every August, prisoners all over honor him by doing 100 of something, standing together and working out militantly as a show of solidarity and preparedness for having to go to war if necessary. Black August and George Jackson is one of my idols, meaning more to me than one month can just display. Just like Juneteenth, and Black History Month, and Native American Heritage Month, and Mexican American Heritage Month, and AAPI Heritage Month — all of those days and , months sting and strike me as irritating that we have to have culture, history, pride and solidarity regulated to set time. It also gets to me about Black August. Of course, like all of us, I bust down, I do my 100 burpees, I also add in 100 pushups, crunches, dips and pull-ups, as well as whatever else I want — I also shout up Black August and Jackson for those who don’t know. But to me, Jackson and his brother and their memory and legacy are more than a month of solidarity, because Jackson put solidarity in his everyday, 365 days a week, no break, no exceptions, at all costs and by any means.

So for me, Black August is another reminder to stay the course, no matter how frustrated I get, or how bad I get done, no matter how oppressed I feel, the oppression I face, or the pain I experience, I have a duty to stay the course as Jackson did. Jackson and his sacrifices mean everything. As I sit in the hole going on a year, I stay strong because of what Jackson went through. “In my objection,” as he said, “you’ll never count me among the broken men”. If I am lucky and privileged enough, I live among the men like Jackson who paved the way for us. Those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the people, his [indistinct] for the people, we have a duty to honor and spread his legacy and fight for the people and a brighter future, or give our lives trying. To me, every day is Jackson’s Death Day, Jonathan’s too. Every month is Black August, and Black History, and Native American Heritage Month, and Mexican Heritage Month. Every day is a time to show solidarity and be more militant with purpose and focus, acting boldly and autonomously to accomplish our goals.

I do love Black August commemorating the man I hold in such regard. I hope to one day see Black August everywhere, especially outside the prisons. Power to the people, all the people!

Ending quote by George Jackson: “If my enemies and your enemies prove stronger to us, at least I want them to know they made a righteous African man extremely angry.”

And lastly, to all those out there prepared to vote for Kopmala, remember: she built her career locking up Blacks for petty crimes like truancy and weed, all the while laughing about its arbitrary nature. So this Black August, remember: among those she would have kept confined to death with us would also have been George Jackson and Jonathan. It is not in the spirit of revolution, remembrance or equity to vote for that cop. She would have been the architect of his demise. Don’t think “lesser of two evils”, ’cause that’s how we got here. The lesser of two evils for Jackson would have been to do his time and get out and take it on the chin, but no! He took the road less traveled by to see what he could do.

So dream bigger than a two-party system. Be bold, be brash, and be autonomous.