George Jackson, born on this day in 1941, was the revolutionary author of "Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson" and co-founder of the Marxist-Leninist Black Guerilla Family.
In 1970, Jackson was charged, along with two other Soledad Brothers, with the murder of prison guard John Vincent Mills in the aftermath of a prison fight. The same year, he published "Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson", a combination of autobiography and manifesto addressed to a black American audience. The book became a bestseller and earned Jackson personal fame.
Jackson was killed during an attempted prison escape on August 21st, 1971. Quoting communist revolutionary Ho Chi Minh, Jackson freed twenty-six prisoners and took hostages at gunpoint. Jackson and five other men were killed.
Fay Stender, George Jackson's former lawyer, was shot and paralyzed for her alleged betrayal of Jackson by Black Guerilla Family member Edward Glenn Brooks. Brooks entered her home, tied up her family, and forced Stender to say "I, Fay Stender, admit I betrayed George Jackson and the prison movement when they needed me most" before shooting her several times. Left paralyzed and in chronic pain, Stender testified against Brooks and committed suicide a year later.
"Settle your quarrels, come together, understand the reality of our situation, understand that fascism is already here, that people are already dying who could be saved, that generations more will live poor butchered half-lives if you fail to act. Do what must be done, discover your humanity and your love in revolution."
- George Jackson
Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson :gold-communist:
blood in my eye george jackson :red-fist:
It's been 30 years since George Jackson died in a pool of blood at San Quentin. His death still reverberates in America SFGATE :hammer-sickle:
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That's a great way to put it. The social media age has really been a double-edged sword in a lot of ways. I'd almost say it's more detrimental and alienating than anything else honestly. It was all supposed to connect the world and make people bond more than ever but the end result has been intense polarization and an age where people simply do not know how to communicate with one another. I have fond memories of web 1.0, the internet really felt like a community back then, with people bonding over technology or hobbies while the internet of today is just so disposable. There's parts I wish I could bring back, like you said, hanging out in person with people and just being there. While also having the world wide web to be able to communicate with people around the globe and share ideas. I dunno, there's still a utopian part of me that sees some untapped potential in the internet, when in reality it's done a lot more harm than good, as evidenced by the rise of fascism globally.
Social media combined with the determined destruction of every single public space and venue. Even drinking at a dive bar is really, really expensive now. And I can't think of anywhere you're allowed to just exist in public without buying things. Like parks if you're the right color and dress right. And libraries. But what else is there?