Today on Sojourner Truth:
Black August is an annual commemoration to remember Black freedom fights and political prisoners and to highlight Black resistance against racial oppression. It is marked annually during the calendar month of August. Black August was initiated in San Quentin State Prison in 1979, when a group of incarcerated people came together to commemorate the deaths of brothers Jonathan Jackson and George Jackson. Both brothers were involved in revolutionary organizing for racial justice behind bars. Sadly, Jonathan was killed in August 1970 and his brother George was also killed a year later. In their honor, a group of incarcerated people came together to commemorate their deaths, in what has since become known as Black August. As Monifa Bandele of the Movement for Black Lives told CNN, Black August is a time to study, plan, and pledge to continue the work and fight for Black liberation. This year, 2020, is no different.
On Monday, August 31, Africans Rising hosted an international webinar, entitled Black August, Standing in Global Solidarity. Africans Rising is a grassroots Pan-African movement of people and organizations, working for peace, justice and dignity. Today on Sojourner Truth, we bring you audio from the historic webinar, which pays homage to the global struggle for racial justice and Black liberation, both past and present. During today's program, you will hear commentary from activists Danny Glover, Sekou Mgbozi Abdullah Odinga, Soffiya Elijah, Linda Masarira, and Phillip Agnew.
