On August 21, 1971 San Quention Prison guards assassinated George Jackson during a prison rebellion and attempted escape. One prison guard was also killed and another two were wounded resulting in six Black and Latine incarcerated folks being charged in what are now known as the San Quentin Six.
In 1979 in commemoration of Jackson and other fallen revolutionaries, the Black Guerilla Family in 1979 initiated Black August. The month of August is a prominent month in Black resistance struggles with significant dates like the beginning of the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade in the U.S., enslavement rebellions, and urban riots against police brutality. Traditionally, Black August is celebrated through rigorus political education, fasting, and physical training.
Today, the core of Black August still remains, which is studying Black resisitance against racist, sexist, colonial, and imperial violence in the U.S. and throughout the Black Diaspora in an effort to increase political consciousness and organizing.
Reference
17, A. (2014, August 14). A brief history of black august. New York Amsterdam News. https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2014/08/14/brief-history-black-august/
