Shownotes
The prolific historian Gerald Horne joins us to discuss his new book that explores some of the themes of what is known as Black August. The Center for Constitutional Rights defines Black August as a time designated to commemorate and honor “the freedom fighters, especially those inside the walls of our sprawling prison-industrial complex, who, with their vision, tenacity, and deep love for our communities, are leading us toward the horizon of abolition.” Black August began in 1979 inside San Quentin State Prison in California in part to commemorate the anniversary of the death of imprisoned Black Panther George Jackson, who was shot and killed by guards during an escape attempt on August 21, 1971. The work of Jackson and others are examined by professor Gerald Horne in his new book, Armed Struggle? Panthers and Communists; Black Nationalists and Liberals in Southern California Through the Sixties and Seventies. The book also draws on Horne’s own experience in Berkeley in the ’70s. Horne is a professor of history and African American studies at the University of Houston and author of many books.