Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson

359 Pages·1994·2.51 MB·English

by  George Jackson

Soledad
Brother
The PrisonL etters
of GeorgeJ ackson
ForewobrydJ onathanJackson,Jr.
LawreHniBcloelo ks
LibraorfCy o ngrCeastsa loging.inD·aPtuab lication
JacksoGne,o rg1e9,4 1-1971
Soledbardo t:h etrhep risloent toefrG se orgJea cksIo n
forewobrydJ onathJaanc ksoJnr;,. introdbuycJ teiaoGnne net.
p. cm.
Originaplulbyl is:h NeedwY orkC:o ward·McCa[n1n9,7 0].
Includbeisb liograrpehfiecraeln ces.
ISBN1 -55652·2:3$ 01-44. 95
1.J acksoGne,o rg1e9,4 1-19C7o1r respondence.
2.A fro-Amerpirciasno ners-California-CorIr.eT siptolned.e nce.
HV9468.J3A149 94
365.'6 '092-dc20
[B]9 4·28264
CIP
© 1994b yJ onathJaanc ksoJnr,.
Letteorrsi ginpaulbllyi s1h9e7d0
PublisbhyeL da wrenHciel Blo oks
ani mprionfCt h icaRgeov iePwr esIsn,c orporated
814N ortFhr anklSitnr eet
ChicagIol,l in6o0i6s1 0
Allr ighrtess erved
Printientd h Uen iteSdt atoefsA merica
To theM an-Child,
Talle,v ilg,r acefburli,g hteybelda,cm ka n-child-JonPaetthearn
Jackson-wdhioe odn A ugus7t, 1 970c,ou raigneo neh anda,s sault
riflien t heo themry; brothceorm,r adfer,i end-tthreur ee volution­
aryt,h eb lacckomm\!nigsute rriilntl haeh ighesstta toefd evelopment,
hed ieodn t het riggsecro,u rogfet heu nrightesooulsd,io eftr h ep eo­
plet;o t hitse rrimbalne- chialnddh iws.o nderfmuolt heGre orgiBae a,
toA ngelYa. D avis,;tmeyn deerx perieInd ceed,i cattheic so llection
ofl ettetrots h;e d estrucotfit ohne iern emiIeds e dicamtye l ife.
Contents
GeorgLe.J ackson
Septemb2e3r,1 941-Aug2u1s,1t 9 71 ix
Foreword
byJ onathJaanc ksoJnr,. xiii
Recent Leatntdae nrA su tobiograph1y
AppendiIxn:t roducttoti hoFeni rEsdti tion
byJ eaGne net 331
G
eorgLe.J ackson
Septemb2e3r,1 941-Aug2u1s,1t 9 71
In1 960at,t hea geo fe ighteGeeno,r gJea ckswoans a ccusoefd
steal$i7n0frgo m a gass tatiinoL no sA ngeleThso.u gh thwearse
evidenocfhe i isn nocenhciecs,o urt-apploaiwnytemeradi ntained
thabte cauJsaec kshoanda r eco(rtdw por eviionusst anocfpe est ty
crimeh)es, h oupllde ad giunei xlcthya nfgoearl igshetn teinnct eh e
counjtayi Hle.d ida,n dr eceiavnei dn determinateo fso ennet ence
yeatrol ifJea.c kssopne ntthn ee xtte yne arsS o,liendP ardi ssone,v en
anda h alofft heimn s olitcaornyf inemIennstt.eo afsd u ccumbtion g
thdee humanizoaftp iroinse oxni stehnetc rea, nsfohrimmesdei lnft o
thel eaditnhge oretoifct ihaepn r ison movaenmdea n btr illiant
writSeorl.e daBdr other, cwohnitcathih nlese tttehrahste w rotfer om
1964t o1 97i0sh, i tse stament.
In hitsw enty-eyiegahJrta,hc ksaonndt woo thberl acikn mates­
Fleeta DraunmdJg ooh Cnl uchette-fwaelrseae clcyu soefdm ur­
derian gw hitper isgouna rThde. guarwda sb eatteond eatohn
IX
Janua1r6y1 ,9 69a f,e wd ayasf taenro thwehri tgeu arsdh oatn d
killtehdr belea cikn matbeysfi rinfgr oamt oweirn ttoh ceo urtyard.
Thea ccusmeedn w erber oughitnc haiannsds hacktloet sw o secret
heariinngS sa linCaosu ntAy t.h ihreda riwnagsa bouttot akpel ace
whenJ ohnC luchemtatnea getdos muggal en otteo h ism other:
"HelIp',m i nt roublWei.t"ht hea ido fa s tasteen athoirms,o ther
contacatl eadw yearn,ds oc ommencoende o ft hem osetx tensive
legdaelf enisneU s. Sh.i stoArcyc.o rdtiont gh eaitrt orneJyasc,k son,
Drumgoan,d C lutchweetrtceeh argweidt mhu rdenrob te cautshee re
wasa nys ubstaenvtiidaelon fct eh egiuri blutbt,e cautsheeh ya db een
previoiudselnyt iafsbi leadc mki litbaynt thspe r isaount horiItfi es.
convicttehdewy,o ulfda cae m andatodreya tphe nalutnyd etrh e
Califoprneinaac lo deW.i thwine ektsh,ce a soeft hSeo ledBardo th­
erse mergeadsa politciacuaslce e lebfroera lslo rtosfp eople
demandicnhga ngaeta t imweh ene verAym ericianns titwuatsi op
shakebnyB lacrke belliinmo onrset haonn eh undrceidt iaensdt he
massm ovement atghaVeii nesttn Waamr .
Augus7t,1 97j0u,s atf ewd ayasf tGeero rgJea ckswoans t rans­
ferrteodS anQ uentitnh,ec aswea sc ataputlott ehdef orefroofn t
nationneawlsw henh ibsr othJeorn,a thaas ne,v enteen-yheiagrh- old
schooslt udeinntP asadesntaa,g ae dr aiodn t heM ariCno unty
courthowuisteah satcheolffh ualn dguannsa ,s saurlitfl ea,n da
shotghuind duennd ehri cso aEtd.u catiendta op olitriecvaoll ution­
ary byG eorgJeo,n athiannv adtehdce o udrutr ianh ge arifnogtr h ree
blacSka nQ uentiinnm atneosti, n cludhiinsbg r othaenrdh, a nded
themw eaponAss. h el eftw itht hei nmataensd f ivheo stages,
includtihnjegu dgJeo,n athdaenm andtehda tth Seo ledBardo thers
ber eleasweitdh itnh irmtiyn uteIns t.h es hoototuhtae tn sued,
Jonathwaansg unneddo wnO.f J onathGaeno,r gwer ot"eH,e w as
frefeo arw hilIeg .u estsh atm'osr et hamno sotf u sc ane xpect."
SoledBardo thewrh,i cihs d edicattoJe odn athJaanc ksowna,s
releatsoec dr itiaccacll aiinFm r anacned t hUen itSetda tweist,ah n
introdubcytt ihoern e nownFerde ncdhr amatJiesatGn e neitn,t he
falolf1 97L0e.s sth aan y ealra taenrd j usttw od aybse fotrhee
openionfgh itsr iGaelo,r ge Jackssohnot tow d aesa tbhy a tower
guaridn siSdaenQ uentPirni sionna p urporetsecda aptet em"pNto.
Blacpke rsownr,o"tJ ea meBsa ldwi"nw,ie lvle r betlhiaGetev oer ge
Jacksdoine tdh wea yt hetye luls hdeid ."
x
SoledaBdr othweern otn t ob ecomaec lasosfiB cl aclki terature
andp olitical philomsoorpeth hya,4n 0 s0e,l0lc0oi0pn igbe esf oirte
wenotu otf p ritnwte nyteya rasg oL.a wrenHcielB lo okissp leased
tor eisstuheib so oka ndt oa ddt oi ta Forewobrydt hea uthor's
nepheJwo,n athJaanc ksJornw.,h, o i sa w ritleirv iinnCg a lifornia.
Xl
Foreword
Iw asb orne igahntd ah almfo nthasf tmeyrf athJeorn,a tJhaacnk son,
wass hodto wno nA ugus7t,1 970a,tt hMea riCno untCyo urthouse,
whenh etr ietdo g aitnh ree leaofst eh Seo ledBardo thbeyrt sa king
hostagBeesf.o arned e speciaafltlteyhr ad ta yU,n clGee orgkee pitn
constcaonntt awcitt mhy mothebry w ritinfgr om hisi nSc aenl l
Quent(iThne.D epartmoefnC to rrectwioounlsd np'utth ero nt he
visitloirssDt'u. r)i nGge orge's nutrmiearalop upse arafnoctreh se
SoledBardo thersM ocma sweo,u lldi mfeta bovteh cer owsdo h e
coulsde em e.C onsistewnetw loyu,l rde ceiavl ee ttae fre wd ays
latFeor.ra s ingmloet hewri tsho na,l onaen di n tmhied dloefb oth
controvaenrdns oyat l itutnlwea rratnrtoeudwb ilteth h aeu thorities,
thosmee ssagoefss t renwgetrhne o d oubitn strumiennht eallp ing
hecra rornyN. o m attheorw o ppreshsiissvi et uabteicoanm Gee,o rge
alwahysa dt imteo l enhdi ssp irtiot th pee ophleec arefdo r.
A yeaarn dt wow eekasf ttehrre e volutitoankaeroyiv neM ra rin,
Georgwea sr uthlemsusrldye rbeydp risognu aradtsS anQ uentin.
Bothh ea ndm y fathleerf mte a greadte alp:r idhei,s toarny ,
Xlll
unmistankaambeMl.yee xperiheanbsce eea nto ncweo nderfaunld
increddiibflfyiM cyul litif.sne o cto nsumbyet dh Jea cklseogna cy,
bumty c harigsae na ccepatnecddh eripsiheeocdfem ye xistence.
Itis o uotf m yr esponstiomb yil leigtatych yIah ta vceo mteow rite
thFiosr ewtoorm dyu nclper'issw orni tings.
TodaIy r eamdy inherliettetdoe frtse n-twhroisteft reonm
Geortgome ym othweirt ahd ulple ncoinpl r ison stTahteiyo nery.
arteh inogfbs e aumtyy m,o svta luapbolses esspiaosnssi,o nate
piecoefws r ittihnahgta vfee wr ivianlt shm eo deernr Tah. ewyi ll
remain unpHuobwleivstehhrele,de .t toefSr osl edBardo thdeerm ­
onsttrhaseta em ien siagnhedtl oquencwea-yGt ehoer gwer'ist ings
makhei pse rsoenxaple riuennicvee irsts hamela insotfha iybs r il­
liance.
Whetnh ciosl leocflteitotwnea frssi rrsetl eaisn1e 96d9i ,bt r ought
a younrge voluttioot nhafero yr eforfoa n tte mpeas tte,m pest
charactbeyrt ihBzele adcP ko wefrr,es ep eeacnhda, n timwoavre ­
mentasc,c ompabnyai d eids satiwsiftathchs teti aoqtnuu tosh rough­
outth Uen itSetda tWeistu.hn flinchingG edoirrJgeaecc tknseosns ,
conveaynei dn tellyieagtce cnets smiebslseaw gieth hi tsr ademark
stIyer ,a tiroangaHelei. l lumipnraetveidoh uisdldvyei ne wpoints and
feeltihndagitss enfranchiosfedtp hosepe uglmaewtneitruosenn a ble
toa rticutlhpaeot oetr:h, ve i ctimtihzieem dp,r istohndeei ds,i llu­
sionGeedo.r sgpeo ikenar evolutvioointcaherat yth ehya ndo i dea
existHeewd a.s t hper ominfeingtuo rfte r urea ditchaolu gahntd
practdiucreit nhgpe e riaondwd, h ehne w asa ssassimnuactohef d ,
thmeo vement died aBluoGtne go rwgiet hJ cahacinkmnsa.oon tnd
wilnlo etv elre avHei.sl ifaen dt hougshetrsav set hmee ssage­
Georhgiem siestl hfre e volution.
Ther eisosfSuo el edBardo thaettr h piosi inntt i miees s senItt ial.
appeatrhsat th nei netairgeeos i ntgob ea t elldiencga idnUe . S.
histTohresy i.g npoofss ytsst ebmrieca kdaorwaensg larionbgvliy­
ouass thewye rient hsei xtuinersem:sa tn ifeisttsiiennilg nf n er-city
turmwoiild,e sprrieosafevd i oleinntc hece u ltaunriden ,t ernational
opprestsoli eogni tais mtiaiztnece r iTshiefs a.tc htia mtp risonments
inC alifohrnaivae mtohratenr ipolveetdrh l ea st dseucpapdoer,t ed
byt hpeu bliismc e,r eolnyes igonfs ocideetcaolm posTihtaito n.
systecmhiacn ogcec urdruerdit nhgse i xtiisaem sy tThh.e U nited
Statients h nei neftaicesests r ikainnaglloygp oruosb lGeemosr.g e
spotkoet hies suoefhs id sa yb,uc to nditnioowan rsse os imitlhaart
xiv