“STUDY, FAST, TRAIN, FIGHT.”

‍

​Originated in 1979 to expose and condemn the oppressive conditions of the U.S. prison industrial complex and call for the release of political prisoners, each year Black August invites observers into a space of deep practice and higher discipline; an unyielding commitment to “study, fast, train, fight.” Black August emphasizes the continued importance of the Black Liberation Struggle. Given current conditions, studying, organizing, and engaging in political struggle is no longer an option for Black people; it is required for our survival and ultimate salvation. Black August is no longer just a month of commemoration but a call to a daily embodiment of liberation. 

We offer our deep gratitude (asante sana) to our contributors, land stewards, the journal design team, artists, and storytellers in this issue for illuminating a pathway to “study, fast, train, fight.” As Black August sunsets and we move into the horizon of the autumn equinox, we challenge you to stoke the flames of Black liberation each morning when you rise. In order for our past not to dictate our future, we must study and archive those lessons learned. The best way to honor our fallen freedom fighters is not to retrace their steps but to observe their footsteps and allow them to put us on new, progressing paths. How will you “study, fast, train, fight?”

‍

“SETTLE YOUR QUARRELS, COME TOGETHER, UNDERSTAND THE REALITY OF OUR SITUATION, UNDERSTAND THAT FASCISM IS ALREADY HERE, THAT PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DYING WHO COULD BE SAVED, THAT GENERATIONS MORE WILL DIE OR LIVE POOR, BUTCHERED HALF-LIVES IF YOU FAIL TO ACT. DO WHAT MUST BE DONE, DISCOVER YOUR HUMANITY AND YOUR LOVE IN REVOLUTION. PASS ON THE TORCH. JOIN US, GIVE UP YOUR LIFE FOR THE PEOPLE.”

—GEORGE JACKSON, BLOOD IN MY EYE, 1972

‍