‘I believe in our people’s ability to find the light’: Celebrating Black August in dark times

Established by the Black Guerrilla Family in San Quentin Prison in 1979, Black August is an annual commemoration of the struggle for Black liberation and a time to remember the freedom fighters who have passed or who remain locked up in prison. In 2025, as fascism rises in the US and around the globe, what can the radical tradition of Black August teach us about keeping the fight for freedom alive in dark times? In this on-the-ground edition of Rattling the Bars, host Mansa Musa speaks with community organizers at a Black August event hosted by the Washington, DC, chapter of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement (MXGM).

Additional links/info:

• Malcolm X Grassroots Movement website, Facebook page, and Instagram
• Mansa Musa & Maximillian Alvarez, The Real News Network, “George Jackson’s unfinished revolution”
• Mansa Musa, The Real News Network, “Black August and the fight to free political prisoners”
• Eddie Conway, The Real News Network, “Black August honors the legacy of militant rebellion”

Credits:

• Producer / Videographer / Post-Production: Cameron Granadino

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