“August – a month 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” – Mumia Abu-Jamal
I am excited to announce the Black August Film Cycle and Training Club!
This year we observe Black August the context of ever increasing police violence and the recent murder by police of Corey Ruiz, the war on crime in which the national guard has occupied multiple cities in the black belt which has led to murders by the National Guard of black people, and the targeting of Haitian communities by ICE.
For the month of august various individuals will be participating in Black August by doing film screenings and discussions of black liberation films every Friday, 8PM at the Yauger Park shelter and every Saturday morning at 11AM we will be meeting at Heritage Park by the parking lot and running around Capitol Lake as training for Running Down the Walls in September.
The Film Cycle will consist of the following movies:
Friday, August 7th: The Spook Who Sat by the Door
Friday, August 14th: Touch the Sky Stories Subversions and Complexities of Ferguson
Friday, August 21st: We Are Now The Story of an Armed No Cop Zone in Atlanta
Friday, August 28th: Concerning Violence
For all of these events I hope individuals who come feel empowered to contribute and actively participate rather than be passive consumers of events others have put together. This can look like coming to the film screenings with snacks or zines to share, further activities to invite people to, or pre-watching the films and coming with your own discussion questions to add.
It can look like offering your own additions to the training club whether as things you want to teach or train other people in or things you want to work on together with others. It can look like putting together your own Black August events and actions in conjunction with what we are already doing.
You have free will and individual initiative, go nuts.
Along with this I want to highlight this Sunday, 2PM-4PM at The Mortuary will be Oly Prisoner Letter Writing for this month, there are still so many long term black liberation prisoners of war held captive in these territories and for this month I want to give a special focus to Michael Kimble, a long term gay, black anarchist prisoner held captive in Alabama – for more information about him you can check his support website.
WHAT IS BLACK AUGUST
via the Black August Planning Organization
Black August is the antithesis to “celebration” and empty “homage.” Black August attempts to place struggle and sacrifice on center stage. In this respect, Black August summons all progressive people who identify with the legacy of resistance to colonial oppression to actively participate in Black August. Thus during the entire month of August in commemoration of those Africans who have made the supreme sacrifice for the cause of African Liberation and reflect upon the significance of those contributions as well as to draw closer to the continuing necessity for resistance, we embrace the following as tenets to be practiced during Black August.
Tenets of the Black August Program
- A fast which historically has been used as an expression of personal commitment and resistance. Hence, from sunrise until evening meal we will abstain from eating. We abstain from consuming any type of intoxicants for the entire month of August. The necessity for this should be self-evident for all serious participants of Black August (BA).
- We limit our selection of television and radio to educational programs, i.e. news, documentaries and cultural programs, etc.
- During BA we emphasize political and cultural studies for individuals involved in BA. Participants in BA should pair off with someone else you know to study and share knowledge of African affairs.
- As an outward expression of BA we wear a black arm band on the left arm or wrist as a tribute to those Africans who have died as a result of their sacrifice for African Liberation. The arm band can be worn either on the inside or outside of your clothing.
Black August is a revolutionary concept. Therefore, all revolutionaries, nationalists and others who are committed to ending oppression should actively participate in Black August. Such participation not only begins to build the bridges of international solidarity, but it is through such solidarity that we strengthen ourselves to struggle for victory.