We are kind of joking about Montgomery brawl, but don’t get it confused, Black August is real and does not replace Black History Month, which still takes place in February. This particular commemoration is meant to honor Black resistance fighters and their movements to free Black people from oppressive obstacles.
Created in August 1979 in San Quentin State Prison, it was originally meant to remember Black Panther George Jackson, who was killed during a 1971 uprising at the California prison. Now, it’s a time for Black people everywhere to learn and celebrate the Black revolutionaries and freedom fighters who fought for Black liberation.
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Here are some dates often remembered throughout the month.
August 1619
The first Africans were brought to Jamestown, Virginia to be enslaved.
August 30, 1800
Born into slavery, Gabriel Prosser was a blacksmith at a plantation in Henrico County, Va. On This day, he and hundreds of others planned a slave rebellion to free themselves from captivity. However, before it happened, their plans were leaked, and Prossor was executed along with many others.
August 21, 1831
Nat Turner’s slave rebellion in Southampton, Virginia began. He believed that he was meant to free Black from enslavement and as a result, Turner and his followers rebelled against their slaveowners until authorities ended the uprising.
August 1854
Delegates from across the country met in Cleveland, Ohio for the National Emigration Convention of the Colored People. Organized by Martin R. Delany, the convention was meant for people to discuss a plan for African Americans to emigrate from the United States to the West Indies.
August 17, 1887
Political activist Marcus Garvey was born in Jamaica. He was the founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), whose goal was to achieve Black nationalism. He always encouraged Black people in the United States to be proud of their ancestry and identity.
August 1, 1914
This is when Marcus Garvey founded the UNIA, whose goal was to form an independent Black nation in Africa, among other things.
August 30, 1948
Activist Fred Hampton was born in Chicago, Ill. At the age of 20, he joined the Black Panther Party and quickly rose to one of its most notable and powerful leaders. He eventually became the deputy chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and organized many events within the community.
August 28, 1963
This is when the March on Washington began, where more than 250,000 protested the capitol to demand civil rights for Black people in the country, including fair wages, economic justice, and an end to segregation.
August 28, 1964
The Philadelphia race riots started in North Philly as Black residents protested over the treatment of local police. It was one of the first race riots during the Civil Rights era.
August 11, 1965
The Watts riot began in South Central Los Angeles where Black people in the community fought to end injustice by police and discrimination in employment, education, and housing.
August 26, 1966
Amid the Civil Rights Movement, African-American people participated in the Waukegan riot in a suburb north of Chicago. The conflict was meant to fight against police brutality by local authorities.
August 28, 1966
Large riots also occurred in Lansing, Mich. as Black residents protested police brutality.
August 1967
The summer of 1967 was filled with Black people rioting across the country in cities such as Buffalo, Tampa, and Cincinnati. But in August 1967, the city of Milwaukee joined in their violent unrest.
August 19, 1967
Race riots began in New Haven, Conn. after a white restaurant owner shot a Puerto Rican man who approached him with a knife. It led to four days of rioting within the city with people fighting discrimination in housing and employment.
August 7, 1970
Jonathan Peter Jackson, George’s younger brother, was killed during his armed invasion of the Marin County courthouse in California as a San Quentin inmate was on trial. He was 17.
August 21, 1971
George Jackson was a member of the Black Panther who was killed in an attempt to free his fellow inmates. His death sparked the creation of Black August. While in prison, he founded the Black Guerilla Family, where he spread his revolutionary thoughts and teachings.
August 19, 2014
Residents in Ferguson started protesting after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by local police. He was 18 years old. The shooting was caught on camera and it led to unrest not only in the community but all over the country.
August 2023
There’s not too much to say about this one. Althought it’s been less than a week, the Montgomery brawl has already become the stuff of legend. As the Boat captain for a riverboat company was protecting himself against a group of white people, nearly all Black people in range came to protect and fight with him, leading to an all-out brawl.
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