Black August 2019

From the Desk of Zayid Muhammad

babazayid@gmail.com

973 202 0745

“A turtle cannot go forward 

until he first sticks his neck out…”

Malcolm X

Black August 2019

by ‘bro. zayid’

            Black August! Its hallmark inspiration is of course George and Jonathan Jackson, two incredibly fearless young men who would each become martyrs for our liberation within a year from each other. Jonathan, in a bold extraction mission, seeking the freedom for comrades who were not going to get it any other way, was killed in action in that mission on August 7, 1970...They burst into that California court room, young guns and said boldly and simply “we are in charge.” His big brother, the profusive urban literary guerrilla, George would be taken following year on August 21^st!

            Their courage and tragic deaths would inspire a bold prison justice movement which would include the epic Attica Uprising less than a month later after George’s death, and in recent years, it would mean a time accelerate support for our political prisoners, and with some approaching 50 years in prison, we absolutely need to do that.

            Black August is also a time when no white confusing holidays take place, when some of the most vicious forms of oppression have taken place, and where of course some of our boldest resistance has taken place. For instance, August 1^st, 1943, the police attack a Black woman and a Black soldier in uniform intervenes. He is shot by a white police officer and all hell breaks loose on the police and on the propertied class! Right on!...August 1^st is also Caribbean Emancipation Day, marking the abolish of slavery in the British Empire in 1838.

            Harlem legend James Baldwin is born on August 2, 1928. Late New Afrikan pioneer Chokwe Lumumba was also born of this day in 1947. On August 3, 1832, Edward Wilmot Blyden, a hugely important, but unsung, bridge of Black Nationalism from the 19^th to 20^th century is born. His African Life and Customs is still a must have. “We did not come here culturally empty-handed,” Dr. John Henrik Clarke used to say. Blyden’s book was early proof!

            He gave a whole new meaning to the adage ‘Wake up! Clean up! Stand up!’ when he brought Acupuncture to the ‘hood in our war against addiction straight from Chairman Mao’s China! Dr. Mutulu Shakur, in prison now for 34 years, was born on August 8, 1950.

            On that same date in 1978, Philadelphia Tanks, Bulldozers and Massive Gunfire would attack the MOVE Family in Powelton Village! A Philly police officer would get killed as a consequence of ‘friendly fire’. They blame it on the 9 MOVE Family members and charge them with that officer’s death...Two have died in prison. Two are still in prison...41 years later!...

            August 9^th is also the anniversary of two ugly police brutality acts. August 9^th, 1997, the heinous beating and sodomizing of Abner Louima and most recently the ‘stranger fruit’ police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson in 2014. The film, Stranger Fruit, capturing the spectacle horror of that incident, is a must see!

                                                                Artwork by Rashid Johnson


            August 11^th, 1965, comes the 5ive day sweeping epic Watts Rebellion that would put Martin Luther King Jr. and his insistence of total commitment to Nonviolence on his heels. The late great Dick Gregory was shot and wounded in that uprising.

            On August 13^th, 1926, Fidel Castro is born! Name a revolutionary who has done more for Afrikan people than Fidel!...

            August 14^th, 1791, Bois Cayman!...The time had come to fry the French...The epic Haitian Revolution was launched. I am so honored by the God of our Ancestors to be born on this day. I am also greatly saddened that I would lose our beloved Breya Blackberry Molasses Knight, on that same day two years ago. The Divine Order is in order. Check it...Breya would also be given to us on October 2^nd, the anniversary of the birth of Nat Turner! There should be no mistake from where her fire sprung from...Speaking of Nat Turner, his bold insurrection occurs on August 21^st 1831, the same day that we would later lose Field Marshall George Jackson...Can’t make this up!

            The great Sam Anderson, pioneer of SNCC and the Black Panther Party, author of Black Holocaust For Beginners, master teacher, was born August 16^th!...I salute u, sir.

            August 17^th, 1887, we are given arguably our greatest organizer, Marcus Mosiah Garvey!

            This year marks the 400^th anniversary of our ancestors’ fateful arrival in Jamestown, Virginia on August 20th! Although not slaves right away, we would up in that genocidal bind from that dark beginning...400 years!...

            August 23^rd, the ‘True Maroon’, the implacable Russell ‘Maroon’ Shoatz, in prison since 1975, will turn 75! Almost all of those years were done in the ‘hole! Time to bring him home!

            On that same day, August 23^rd in 2003, we would lose his incredible comrade, Safiya Bukhari Alston! How proud was I to serve under her for the return of The Black Panther Newspaper, the launching of Jericho, and more!

            It was revealed on August 25^th, 1967 that this little sinister, criminal matter of COINTELPRO would be expanded to destroy our Movement.

            August 28^th marks the horrific anniversary of the savage lynching of Emmitt Till in 1955! The date of that horrific event would be used for the March On Washington later in 1963. Controlled show that it was, it’s success as a major mass mobilization, however, marked Dr. King for death, Read his COINTELPRO Papers!

            Finally, we end with Chairman Fred, one of the baddest Panther leaders!...Fred Hampton was born on August 30, 1948. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of Fred’s assassination!

            We who like it hot...Call it ‘Black August’...



©2019