{"id":434248,"date":"2026-08-16T02:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/434248\/"},"modified":"2026-08-16T02:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-16T02:54:10","slug":"four-candidates-including-incumbent-barbara-lee-qualify-for-oakland-mayors-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/434248\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Candidates, Including Incumbent Barbara Lee, Qualify for Oakland Mayor\u2019s Race"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Jana Lang, Propel Youth Reporter<\/p>\n

Study. Train. Fast. Fight.\n<\/p>\n

These are the four tenets of Black August, a month dedicated to commemorating the sacrifices of political prisoners and Black revolutionaries in the struggle for Black liberation.\n<\/p>\n

Observers are urged to study the history of the Black struggle for freedom, train their bodies for health and self-defense, fast to cleanse the mind, body, and spirit, and fight ongoing oppression alongside their communities and local political organizations.\n<\/p>\n

Beginning in 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, the Black Guerrilla Family called for the remembrance of political prisoner George Jackson and his brother Jonathan Jackson who were assassinated in the early 1970s. George Jackson was considered a political prisoner in that it was the anti-Black justice system that led to his incarceration for armed robbery with a sentence of one year-to-life in 1960.\n<\/p>\n

While in prison, George befriended fellow prisoner W.L. Nolen, who introduced him to the works of Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, and Frantz Fanon. This radicalization coupled with his experiences of violence while imprisoned led to him writing and publishing two books, \u201cSoledad Brother\u201d (1970), and \u201cBlood in my Eye\u201d (1972). In January of 1970, George and two other prisoners were charged with murdering a corrections officer at Soledad State Prison in Monterey County.<\/p>\n

TrendingLawson State, Alabama State announce historic partnership<\/a><\/p>\n

On Aug. 7, 1970, Jonathan Jackson burst into a Marin County courtroom armed with a shotgun to demand the freedom of the Soledad Brothers. He, along with the inmates he freed, was shot and killed while driving away. This involved one of the Black Panther Party\u2019s most notable associates, Angela Davis, because the shotgun was registered in her name. She was later acquitted of charges of conspiracy, kidnapping, and murder in 1972.\n<\/p>\n

On Aug. 21, 1971, George Jackson was assassinated by a corrections officer after attempting to escape and free other inmates. As a result, there were uprisings and protests within prisons all over the country that year, calling forth resistance against racial oppression and mass incarceration.\n<\/p>\n

Since its outset, Black August has evolved across the country, taking many forms to honor this history and embody the four tenets.\n<\/p>\n

In Oakland, the upcoming Black August Experience, hosted by Youth Alive! and the East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), is a free, family-friendly event celebrating the legacy of Black August. Activities include free food and drinks, a kids\u2019 activity zone, interactive workshops, live cooking and boxing demonstrations, and more.\n<\/p>\n

Happening on Aug. 21 from 4-8 p.m. at the EOBA Patio, Carolyn Flynn, director of administration at EOBA, said the event, in its second year, will be an opportunity to engage with people in person through food, shared space, and education.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do regular classes in education, and those are ongoing programs that we offer, but we wanted to have [an opportunity] for our neighbors to utilize this space.\u201d Combined with Youth Alive\u2019s work in community violence prevention and youth leadership, this event surely aims to bring the Oakland community together to capture what Black August means today.\n<\/p>\n

Here are additional Black August events happening in Oakland:\n<\/p>\n

Forum and Community Discussion hosted by the Oakland Liberation Center, 1499 Fruitvale Ave., Aug. 14, 7 p.m.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cGeorge Jackson\/San Quentin\u201d Screening hosted by Nostalgic for Nothing Cinema at Moments Co-Op, 410 13th St., Aug. 16, doors at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m. (Masks required and scent-free)\n<\/p>\n

Commemorating the Struggle, Building the Altar for Liberation: Black August at Bandung Books, 2269 International Blvd., Aug. 23rd, 1-5 p.m.\n<\/p>\n

Building Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (BOSS), will host \u201cBlack August: The Arc of Liberation\u201d at Oakland City Hall on Sat. Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.\n<\/p>\n

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