Black August: A story of African freedom fighters

George Jackson by Kiilu Nyasha This story was originally published Aug. 3, 2009. Kiilu Nyasha, legendary fighter for the freedom of political prisoners, often wrote a special tribute to other freedom fighters to commemorate Black August. She joined the ancestors in 2018 at the age of 78. Black August is a month of great significance for Africans throughout the Diaspora, but particularly here in the U.S. where it originated. “August,” as Mumia Abu-Jamal noted, “is a month of meaning, of repression and radical resistance, of injustice and divine justice; of repression and righteous rebellion; of individual and collective efforts to free the slaves and break the chains that bind us.” On this 30th [now 45th] anniversary of Black August, first organized to honor our fallen freedom fighters, Jonathan and George Jackson, Khatari Gaulden, James McClain, William Christmas and the sole survivor of the Aug. 7, 1970, Courthouse Slave Rebellion, Ruchell Cinque Magee, it is still a time to embrace the principles of unity, self-sacrifice, political education, physical fitness and/or training in martial arts, resistance and spiritual renewal. The concept, Black August, grew out of the need to expose to the light of day the glorious and heroic deeds of those...