Black August Call to Celebrate Freedom Fighters Year Round
The celebration of Black August really should be all year round. Only we can make this change. For those who lack knowledge of Black August, it’s considered the “celebration of freedom fighters.” Every individual who stands against oppression on any level is a freedom fighter. The color of one’s skin is irrelevant. I love you sister Marilyn Buck (rest in power), Lolita Lebron (rest in power), and Silvia Baraldini, among others who weren’t the color of black. Yet, they were black. Because, to the oppressed of any nationality, Black isn’t a color.
Black is an establishment created to protect one’s civil rights. Black is courage. Black is self-motivation to win. Black is vision. Black is respect. Black is love. Black is loyalty. Black is unity. Black is pride. Black is you! Furthermore and more importantly, Black is me!
Collectively, these Black endearments are us (i.e. united souljahs and united souljahettes). This is why I believe Black August, the celebration of freedom fighters, should be year round.
In preparation of such a celebration I am calling on all comrades to pick a freedom fighter of their choice and submit a 250 word essay on your chosen freedom fighter describing why you’ve made such a selection and the impact this freedom fighter had on you. I am asking in solidarity with Under Lock & Key for all readers of ULK to participate. Although every article may not be printed due to space and financial hurdles, your participation will not be ignored. Let’s strengthen the voice of ULK. Because if we’re considered the voice of ULK and we don’t strengthen it, then who will?
Unity is a powerful device when applied suitably. Let’s unify ourselves rather than destroy ourselves.
MIM(Prisons) adds: We decided to take up this comrade’s call for submissions about freedom fighters year round by printing it during Black August and then following up by printing submissions from ULK readers in a future issue. Of particular importance in this call is understanding that all prisoners are political prisoners. And so we do not just identify freedom fighters as people who were famous for their political activism before being locked up. Instead we encourage you to think about the prisoners who have affected you in a positive way, including those who haven’t written books or received media attention. Let’s celebrate all freedom fighters and strive to be freedom fighters ourselves.
