George Jackson
George Jackson was arrested in 1957 for stealing $70 from a gas station and was sentenced to 1 year to life. Jackson ended up being incarcerated for 14 years until he was murdered by prison guards inside San Quentin Prison in 1971. During his 14 years of imprisonment, Jackson became of the seminal figures and thinkers of Black Power and the Black Liberation Movement.
Documents
Black August - Letters from George Jackson
reading of letter from George Jackson to his mother in 1966; Aug 1970 letter; responses to assassination of George Jackson, news report on circumstances surrounding his death
George Jackson interviews
Date: 8/19/1970Call Number: PM 027Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Karen WaldCollection: George Jackson
Karen Wald interviews George Jackson; first on tape is the latest; second is the earlier, same as descriptions above (PM 002/004)
Interviews about George Jackson
Date: 9/6/1971Call Number: PM 097Format: 1/4 7 1/2 ipsProducers: Grenada TVCollection: George Jackson
Camera Roll 11: interviews with Black Panthers who were incarcerated with George Jackson at San Quentin; discussing how other prisoners were encouraged by and respected George’s defiance of the State’s orders; talk about the hole and degrading mistreatment; discussion about the yard and racist pitting of groups against each other by guards ; discuss what kind of self-discipline George had and what kind you need once inside ; Camera Roll 12: a former inmate of San Quentin pointing out various elements of a prison on a diagram - not much good on audio only.
San Quentin Recordings
Camera roll 27: (1)George Jackson talking about fascism; (2) Interview with unknown legal person about searches before/after visits. Pokes holes in State’s case about George Jackson trying to escape. History of San Quentin violence against inmates.
Interview with George Jackson’s lawyer and former fellow inmate/comrade
Track 1: Interview with John Thorne, George Jackson’s lawyer, about his relationship with George. Describes George as a selfless leader, always bringing in lawyers to discuss the cases of fellow inmates. Talks about George’s solidarity with other movements, his dedication to struggle for freedom, his ultimate discipline and preparedness for attack. Discusses some of the letters between George and Angela Davis about fascism within the United States. Track 2: Interview of Popeye Jackson, former fellow prisoner of George’s in San Quentin and Soledad prisons, discussing the impossibility of the State’s case for assassinating George Jackson. Discusses the repressive conditions of the adjustment center and the many revolutionaries abused within solitary confinement. Reads a letter from Fleeta Drumgo about his treatment in the case of his death.
Interview with San Quentin official
Interview with San Quentin official about the death of George Jackson and subsequent uprisings of prisoners; he discusses the need for more psychological programming and control of prisoners. Interview with Moe Camacho and Arnold Thompson, two CO's who were Chapter President of Correctional Officers at San Quentin and Soledad prisons. Who discuss the need for discipline and separation of potentially violent inmates, more isolation, heightened security. The level of anxiety has risen among guards because of various revolutionary groups organizing within and outside of prisons, the circulation political literature and propaganda, and recent actions taken by prisoners.
Black Panther Party Political Education on George Jackson
Bobby Seale preparing to teach in a garage to Panther kids, asking them what they know about George Jackson, where and how long he was incarcerated. Not much material.
KPFA News
First news story on KPFA after the death of George Jackson. Read copy only, no actuality.
George Jackson speaking about fascism ; Readings from Soledad Brother (Part 1 of 2)
Track 1: Great taped interviews of George Jackson speaking about fascism. In depth analysis of 3 stages of fascism and how it has manifested itself in the United States. Talks about need to create communes and revolutionary culture so as to reestablish class consciousness. Fascism destroys sense of community among people of all classes. “We are not acting individually inside the prisons - we are rank and file”. Soledad Brothers does not apply to three people but to all brothers who fight against concentration camps. Track 2: An actor named Chris Graham has a taped reading of the intro to George Jackson’s Soledad Brother. Sounds a lot like George reading it himself. Reel 1 of 2 of Chris Graham reading from autobiography. See PM 118 for Reel 2 of 2.
Garage school with Black Panther Party kids
Black Panther Party kids talking about George Jackson. Kids say that they like Bobby Seale and his classes, learning how to read and write and about George Jackson. Class with a Black Panther Party sister asking kids about political prisoners. Kids talk about separation of political prisoners, especially Black Panther Party members from the rest of the prison population. Difficulty of visiting and corresponding with political prisoners inside. Kids talk about dehumanizing conditions of prisons and the work that prisoners are forced to do.
