Black August: Watts Riots: Aug 11th, 1964
By Pierre pinson
Dr. Martin Luther King once said that the riot is the language of the unheard. "Unheard" is another way to say "ignored" or marginalized - dehumanized. We march, we protest, we vote, beg, plead, pray, petition, cry, rap, sing - we have articulated our pains and grievances in so many ways it's transformed culture. The injustice we suffer is meant to be attributed to our existence. Poverty is not inherent to Black & Brown people but it is disproportionately imposed upon us by laws, policies & practices shaped by racism. When we think about impoverished communities, we automatically picture ourselves. In America, wherever we exist in numbers we are boxed in to maintain white supremacy.
Those who ensure we go unheard do not take accountability, they do not say, "We built this box around you." They do not offer up police who are guilty of murder, falsifying documents, or concealing evidence.
Sometimes some events shake people awake and we are conscious of the gravity of being boxed in. The only way we get some semblance of accountability is by burning the box to the ground. Those who riot can feel the oppression, the pressure of the long trail to death. People who are not circumscribed- those who identify with the oppressor - don't understand rioting.
If that is you, know this:
where there is smoke, there is fire.
Where there is, fire there is injustice.
Where there is, injustice there is us.
1AM ON A 3'X6' STEEL SHEET TOP BUNK
BY CASEY GOONAN
STACKED
SNORES AMASS
HOWLS FROM ONE HUNDRED
WAITING SLEEPING MEN
REVERBERATING THROUGHOUT
THIS ECHOE CHAMBER POD
SORROW SOULS HUMMING
CHORUS OF ONE HUNDRED CAGED WAITING
VOICES, MUTED
RESTING FROM DAY'S PENT UP STRESS/LOATHING/ DISTRACTIONS
ONE HUNDRED PRESENT-TENSES ARRESTED WAITING
PRODUCING OCTIVES THAT SCALE
ANOTHER SLEEPLESS STARLESS NIGHT
A REPRIEVE FROM THE HUM HUMM HUMMM
SILENCE BROKEN BY DEPUTY BOOTS
JAIL KEYS CLINKING LIKE WHITE DEVIL TAMBORINE
SUMMONING A HOWLING CHORUS
OF SNORRING MEN WAITING
NOW PUNCTURED BY NOW
NOXIOUS BOWL MOVEMENTS
DISTANT TOIETS FLUSHING LOUDLY
SMELLS OF SHIT SEEPING INTO OUR
STACKED CELL SLEEPING WAITING
WHILE THE BOY IN THE BUNK
CONTINUES TO REEK OF
RANCID UNWASHED FEET
FROM HIS FOUR CONSECUTIVE DAYS
IN BED, SILENT WAITING
UNMOVING
FACE UNFLINCHED WITH TEARLESS EYES
I WANT TO TELL HIM
IT’S OKAY
YOU JUST NEED TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT
TO FIND A BETTER MORNING
YET NOTHING OF THE SORT CAN BE PROMISED
TO THESE ONE HUNDRED SLEEPING MEN WAITING
THIS IS JAIL AND WAITING
THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERIKKKA
Meeting Maroon Shoatz by Troy Miller
July 17, 2024
I remember meeting Russell Maroon Shoatz in 2020, in the infirmary at SCI Fayette. We only had a few moments to build, but it was a time in my life that I will never forget. Before meeting him, I still had the mindset that the prison system isn’t that bad and if you keep your head down, you will be treated with humane treatment.
I learned a great wealth of knowledge about the Prison Industrial Complex in my few moments with Maroon. He opened my vision up to understand why there are abolitionists and people who fight the system.
Maroon had been incarcerated for decades and was riddled with many health issues but in our brief time he knew that his fight wasn't over to teach the next generation of revolutionaries.
Here I was, in my first 5 years of a 20-40 year sentence, learning that the system will kill you any chance it can, or at minimum, will give you inadequate health care instead of release from a death sentence by incarceration.
It was that moment when I knew I had to start researching about those who come before me, those who fought for everything I have now. When Maroon and I spoke, I was preparing for my first hernia surgery and he made sure to instill in me, exhaust all your options before believing what they tell you.
Intro To Black August by Yaiyr Carter
Peace comrades, and welcome to the ITB Black August special edition. Each year we commemorate those who stood/stand against white supremacy, leaving courageous examples to inspire us.
Some took action, courage in one hand, assault rifle in the other: Jonathan Jackson took control of a courthouse freeing William Christmas, James McClain and Ruchell "Cinque" Magee, only to be ambushed by pigs that were tipped off by a rat on August 7, 1970. Jonathan took a judge and a DA hostage with the hope of negotiating for the freedom of his brother George L. Jackson.
George, a well known imprisoned revolut¡onary, would be gunned down a year later on August 21, 1971 after a battle with prison guards that left four of them dead. The "San Quentin 6" would be charged for those deaths. Witnesses later stated that George Jackson sacrificed himself, saving the lives of his fellow prisoners.
During this month we recognize revolut¡onaries like Assata Shakur, Marcus Garvey and Safiya Bukhari, to name a few. And we memorialize events like the founding of the Underground Railroad and the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros, as well as uprisings against the whitesupremacist power structure like the Watts revolt, Nat Turner's rebellion and the Haitian revolut¡on.
This tradition began in the 1970's in California after the death of Black Freedom Fighter Jeffery "Khatari" Gualden at the hands of the administrators of the San Quentin death camp. To quote Doc Holiday, a comrade of George Jackson's, "Black August is a reflection and commemoration of history; of those partisans and leaders that realistically made it possible for us to survive and advance to our present level of liberation struggle." Over the decades, Black August has grown in popularity among people outside of prisons who love and support those who are locked down and living in direct conflict with the whitesupremacist state.
Though we acknowledge historical facts, our tradition is not another Black History Month. We are not celebrating notable firsts, like the first Black person to do X, Y and Z and was therefore accepted by white amerika. It's not about those whose talents or ingenuity brought them closer to their oppressors. There is another month for that, if you care to celebrate peanut butter, or the supreme court, or baseball stats. In that (shorter) month people celebrate the contributions Black people made to a country that rarely compensated them and continues to treat most of them as disposable. In Black August we celebrate those who stood against amerika and sacrificed for future generations.
Black August is about the kinds of resistance to white supremacy that is not limited by the bounds set by the ruling class and its collaborators. The terms and actions in revolut¡onary struggle are set by those in active contradiction with the enemy, and they resist as they see fit. As their courage allows. As their dissatisfaction dictates.
In this issue of In The Belly we have included articles written by our readers that highlight the spirit of Black August. The list of notable facts is always growing as we continue to develop in our struggle, so it's impossible to expound on every worthy mention. We hope that in coming years our readers (you) will continue to write to us and share your reflections which will add to the archive of education and inspiration for future generations in the struggle. We hope our annual Black August issue can grow into a study guide and a manual for those moving in revolut¡onary spirit.
Traditionally, Black August is recognized by groups in solidarity, studying, fasting and doing physical exercise together. Anyone can participate just as anyone can resist racism and struggle against whitesupremacy. You don't have to be Black to be a revolut¡onary fighting on the right side of history.
A Black August timeline by Yaiyr Carter
Black August Timeline
08.01.1856 - North Carolina: Fugitive slaves fought a fierce battle against slaveholders who tried to capture them.
08.01.1914 - Marcus Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association.
08.01.1979 - Black Panther Veronza Bowers attempted self-liberation from USP Lompoc.
08.02.1850 - Underground Railroad was founded.
08.05.1970 - Black Panther Party's Minister of Defense, Huey P. Newton won his release from prison after 4 years of being held captive for defending himself from the pigs.
08.07. 1970 - Jonathan Jackson killed in battle while attempting to liberate William Christmas, James McClain & Ruchell Cinque Magee (the only survivor).
08.08.1879 - Mexican revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata, was born.
08.08.1949 - Black revolutionary, Dr. Mutulu Shakur, was born.
08.08.1978 - Philadelphia: members of MOVE defended
themselves from police assault.
08.10.1609 - Mexico: former slaves founded the town of San Lorenzo de los Negros.
08.11.1965 - Watts: thousands began 5 day revolt against white supremacist cops.
08.11.1970 - NYC: prisoners in multiple jails rose up against oppression, seizing control & capturing oppressors.
8-11-1973 Bronx, NY: Hip Hop was born at DJ Cool Herc's sister's party.
08.12.2015 - Hugo Pinell of the San Quentin 6 killed by white supremacists in prison.
08.13.1920 - The Pan-African flag was created.
08.15.1900 - NYC: riots erupted after white cop was killed while assaulting a man of Afrikan heritage.
08.16.1965 - North Philadelphia: urban revolt against white supremacy.
08.17.1887 - Honorable Marcus Garvey was born.
08.17.1955 - NY: work strike at Comstock Prison.
08.17.1995 - International peoples resistance stopped the scheduled execution of Mumia Abu Jamal.
08.17.1998 - Gaspe, Canada: armed standoff between Micmac tribal people & the Quebec
08.18.1971 - Mississippi: Republic of New Afrika defends themselves from attack by FBI and police.
08.19.1967 - New Haven, Connecticut: large-scale urban revolt against white supremacy.
08.20.1985 - Ohio: prisoners rose up and aired their grievances over the radio.
08.21.1831 - Virginia: Nat Turner led revolt, exacting people's justice on over 50 slaveholders.
08.21.1971 - San Quentin: George L. Jackson assassinated by guards.
08.22.1791 - Haiti: enslaved Afrikans rose to fight for independence.
08.22.1989 - Black Panther Party cofounder, Huey P. Newton, murdered.
08.23.1917 - Houston, IX: Black soldiers engaged in street skirmishes, leaving more than 17 Euro-American racists dead.
08.24.1943 - Russell "Maroon" Shoatz was born.
08.24.2003 - Black Liberation fighter Safiya Bukhari died at age 53
8.26.1966 - Namibia: Southwest African People's Organization began armed struggle for liberation..
08.27.1963 - W.E.B. Dubois died in Ghana.
08.28.1971 - San Francisco, CA: Black Panthers, Jalil Muntagim & Nuh Washington captured after shootout with pigs.
8-29-1974 - New York: Imprisoned women revolted and seized control of Bedford Hills Correctional Facility.
08.30.1800 - Gabriel's rebellion.
08.30.1856 - Osawatomie, KS: John Brown & family/followers waged war against pro-slavery forces.
08.30.1948 - Chicago Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton was born.
Statement of solidarity with casey goonan by stevie wilson
Many years ago, while imprisoned at SCI-Smithfield, and struggling to keep our study groups afloat, I received an e-mesage from Casey Goonan. I had no clue whom he was. He said he reached out because he heard about the work I was doing inside and wanted to offer any assistance he could. He did, and he continued to do so. Casey has been one of the most consistent and ready allies/accomplices of imprisoned people. Whether producing zines that center imprisoned voices, mailing zines to imprisoned people at no cost, coordinating phone zaps to combat repression by prison officials, raising funds for mutual aid, building social media presence for imprisoned folx or just lending an attentive ear to the concerns of imprisoned people, Casey has been unstinting in his support of anyone, anywhere, who is being oppressed.
My friend, my comrade, my brother, is currently being held in a county jail in CA. I wish I were out there to do more for him, to manifest by love and solidarity for him. What I want everyone to know is that Casey Goonan is an amazing ally/accomplice of oppressed people everyone. In this, his time of need, he should be supported and cared for. I ask people to keep close tabs on the situation, show up for Casey and make sure that while he is inside, jail officials do not harm him or exacerbate his condition. I don't ever claim to speak for all imprisoned people, but I feel confident in saying that thousands of imprisoned people across this land have benefited from Casey's efforts. We ask you support our comrade and care for him.
Always,
Stevie
Revolutionary Launch
Essay: Launching a Revolutionary Act, by Polo Pinson
By Pierre Polo Pinson*
(A View of Revolutionary Self Determination)
The launch was a gathering of resources (people) in one place to launch against the machine. It was the collection of formed and raw material to be weaponized. Some will oppose the thought of being raw material, however, as a Black man in Amerika, I am unable to escape this reality. This system does not aim to colonize our land because we have no land. My people are descended from those stolen from their homeland and capitalism requires resources to extract from occupied, conquered, and colonized lands. However, due to the fact Black people in America have no land to exploit the capitalist system must exploit Black people as political, penal, and public capital. We, the people are our greatest and most valuable resource. We must see others as necessary and valuable resources not to be exploited but to be explored with intentional care and curiosity. All resources must be maximized and organized to make revolution.
We are the raw material organized and aimed to sabotage (See Sabot or the French çabot). Our individual thrusts or purposes combine to create the thrust or force that propels the movement that launches the people as projectile. This Projectile can take various forms, however, what is important is the impact. Revolution as a purely destructive act is for those who have not imagined freedom. The projectile lands with an impact to bend the ground and consciousness. The more projectiles that shake the mental, social, and political landscape, the more the people will emerge from their holes. Some will look to the skies and others will look to the why's. Either way, they will be educated.
Of course, we are not all projectiles. Organizers are tasked with gathering the cannons, some through theft from the oppressors others by raising awareness and funds. Soldiers execute orders and load the cannons. Some people are projectile and others are fodder that support the projectile.
Then there are those of us who are to provide the spark that ignites! Everyone who was at the ITB launch comprises some part of this function to be weaponized against oppression and repression. It is the individual's duty to objectively assess who and what they are and to execute that role with pride and precision. A successful launch can be determined by the accuracy with which we strike the target but we must keep in mind that even a projectile that misses its target shakes the foundation of the oppressors house. Insecurity rings in his ears! The success of our launch will be determined by how many of the people become projectiles shaking the world to the core.
In closing I leave you with a revolutionary word,
The effectiveness of rallies and mass demonstrations has not come to an end. Their purpose has diacritically altered, but the general tactic remains sound. Today the rally affords the opportunity to effect intensive organization of the projects and programs that will form the infrastructure of our communes. If the mass rallies close, as they have in the past, with a few speeches and a pamphlet, we can expect no more results than in the past: two hours later the people will be Americans again (instead of people). But going among "the people" at each gathering with clipboards and pens, and painfully ascertaining what each can contribute to clear-cut, carefully defined political projects, is the distinction between intensive organization and sterile, stilted attempts to build new unions (rank and file, etc.) or elect a socialist legislature. -George Jackson, Blood In My Eye (p. 60)
