Black August, a month-long commemoration that honors Black revolutionaries, is a relatively new observance for Jada Harmon, local organizer and co-owner of Harmon Community Farm.
For Harmon, the month is not a time to celebrate, but a time to commemorate a long history of Black resistance, from the Haitian Revolution in 1804 to the Black Panther movement to the Black Liberation Army to present-day movements.
"To me, what is really important about this month is recentering my understanding of the current condition of Black people as being on this long trajectory of resistance and analyzing what that looks like today for us," Harmon said. "Then asking what is our resistance going to be to match that and go beyond that?"
Black August has multiple components: intentional study of revolutionaries and political prisoners, fasting as a way to recommit to struggle, and physical training.
Harmon said that, for her, studying during Black August means connecting to the history of Black resistance to the conditions Black communities face today.
Sometimes referred to as the alternative Black History Month, Black August is a commemoration of the work and lives of Black freedom fighters, revolutionaries, radicals and political prisoners.
It originated in the California prison system following the August 1971 assassination of George L. Jackson, a field marshal of the Black Panther Party, during an uprising at San Quentin State Prison, according to reporting from the Associated Press.
Before his passing, Jackson studied the work of revolutionaries such as Karl Marx, Mao Tse-Tung and Vladimir Lenin. He became a leader in the prisoner rights movement, eventually starting the San Quentin Prison chapter of the Black Panther Party.
He published two books, both collections of his letters from prison: "Soledad Brother" and "Blood in My Eye."
Black August was first celebrated in 1979 to commemorate Jackson's fight for Black liberation.
That's largely in part thanks to prisoners who were released over the decade of his murder, Monifa Bandele, member of the Movement for Black Lives and Malcom X Grassroots Movement told the Associated Press in 2022.
"People who were incarcerated came home to their families and communities – they began to do community celebrations of Black August, and it's really grown since then," Bandele said.
Its popularity grew as people in the rap and hip-hop music scenes began to celebrate it through concerts and the distribution of leaflets in the late 1990s, Bandele said.
Today, Black August continues to be observed throughout the month across the country.
Several organizations across Milwaukee are hosting events dedicated to Black August. Here are a few:
Saturday, Aug. 15, from 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Cactus Club (2496 S. Wentworth Ave.)
Celebrate Black August with a late-night dance music event at the Cactus Club featuring sets by DJs Slugo, Jayxz and Holesum Hūdrats.
Early bird tickets are no longer available, but advance tickets can be purchased for $20 + fees online. Day of show tickets will be available for $25 + fees.
Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Beulah Family Homestead (W3648 Scotch Bush Rd., Elkhorn, WI)
Presented by African American Roundtable's Feed the Change MKE campaign, attendees of Seeds of Liberation will visit a farm in Elkhorn to learn about sustainable agriculture.
Transportation is provided to the farm. Attendees should meet at Alice's Garden (2136 N. 21st St.).
Saturday, Aug. 22, from 12 to 3 p.m. at Black Joy Farm (2815 W. Wright St.)
The Party for Socialism and Liberation Milwaukee, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges and Run Black and Green are hosting a community day that will include group exercise, writing to political prisoners and a community discussion and meal.
Thursday, Aug. 27, from 6 to 7 p.m. at Alice's Garden (2136 N. 21st St.)
The Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression will host a community gathering and discussion on the continued struggle for Black liberation.
Wednesday, Sept. 9, time and location shared with registered attendees
Milwaukee Freedom Fund is hosting a book club to observe Black August. Throughout the month, the community is invited to read "The Black Antifascist Tradition: Fighting back from Anti-lynching to Abolition" by Bill Mullen and Jeanelle. K. Hope. Reading prompts to guide participants through the book will be posted to the organization's Instagram page (@mkefreedomfund).
April Quevedo covers Metcalfe Park for the Journal Sentinel's Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: [email protected].
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Journal Foundation, Bader Philanthropies, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: "JS Community Journalism") and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What is Black August? Here's what you need to know