Attending Honors Program events: A Commemoration of Black August (3 points)

On September 11th, I attended the Commemoration of Black August held by the HPSA. At the event, we watched a clip from Professor Shola Lynch’s Free Angela and All Political Prisoners (2012), then Dr. Richardson and Dr. McCarty held a discussion around political prisoners. I really liked the film because it was informative, engaging, and it gave a deep dive into a story I had rarely heard. In high school, Angela Davis’s name was briefly mentioned, but I never knew the true impact she had on civil rights. The film mentions that the government never liked her; in fact, Reagan spoke out against her. Because she was not palatable to the white masses, we never got to truly learn about her. So, I was very excited to learn her story.

Dr. Richardson and Dr. McCarty then held a discussion on political prisoners, in which they defined a political prisoner as someone who is targeted because of their beliefs or identity. This definition is very prevalent in today’s society, with the mass amount of deportations and ICE raids ongoing. Our government is imprisoning people due to their identity or their ability to sympathize with those they are discriminating against. Thinking about our current situation often frustrates me, because all our efforts seem to go to waste. However, during this meeting, Dr. Richardson made a very insightful point: “They know the playbook.” We continue using past methods of resistance, but the oppressors now know those methods and how to work against them. So, we must look for other ways to create change.

- Taylar Wharton