This month marks the 45th anniversary of the first Black August. Started in San Quentin Prison, in 1979, Black August saw the founders of the movement studying political texts together, wearing black armbands on their left sides, and fasting from dawn until sundown in solidarity with their Muslim siblings during Ramadan. Honoring the fallen political prisoners George Jackson and Khatari Gaulden, who had been killed by violence and neglect on the part of San Quentin staff, Black August has always represented a commitment to discipline, political education, and solidarity.
Every year, the Detroit Justice Center commemorates Black August by uplifting the work and lives of political prisoners, and this year is no different. As always, we take our lead from activists and organizers, such as the Detroit chapter of the Jericho Movement, who have recently put out calls to free Leonard Peltier and demand clemency for Joy Powell. The Jericho Movement has also long maintained solidarity with the Free Palestine movement, calling for the immediate release of all Palestinian political prisoners.
At a time when the national conversation around politics has been consumed by the upcoming Presidential election, there seems to be no better opportunity to re-focus the dialogue on those most impacted by this nation’s political violence at home and around the world. Until we live in a world that does not rely upon policing and incarceration, we will have to fight against the oppression of all those who oppose imperial brutality. We know that regardless of the election’s outcome, our work towards building more just cities will continue on the same path.
Part of taking our queues from movement means that we engage in protester defense. For instance, our newest staff attorney, Shareece McCauley, recently defended two protestors who were targeted by police following a pro-Palestine action, and their charges were dropped. Police targeted the activists after the action was over and they were isolated from the crowd, with one client pushed into an alleyway by three officers. McCauley’s insistence that our clients push for informal hearings helped them get their charges dismissed and also inspired others who had been arrested during the action to follow suit.
Our staff of movement lawyers stands on the shoulders of those who have been doing this work long before DJC’s existence. This Black August, we’re honoring one such freedom fighter and launching the Desiree Ferguson Fund.
Desiree was our founding legal director. A local leader who spent three decades defending Detroiters from the carceral system, she established our internship program before retiring last year. This program trains the next generation of movement lawyers to continue protecting and advocating for protestors.
We hope you’ll join us in honoring Desiree’s legacy and raising $13,000 so we can reopen our internship program next summer and train more rising activists on using the law to bolster the movement for Black liberation.