In this episode ofThe Dugout, we continue our deep dive into George Jackson's seminal text,Blood in My Eye. Part 2 focuses on Jackson's analysis of fascism as a structure deeply embedded in American society, his vision for the role of the vanguard party in revolutionary struggle, and his incisive critiques of political failure within liberation movements.

Who Was George Jackson?

George Jackson (1941–1971) was a revolutionary thinker, writer, and member of the Black Panther Party who became a central figure in the movement for prison abolition. Arrested at 18 for stealing $70 from a gas station, Jackson was sentenced to one year to life, a punishment emblematic of the carceral system's violence against Black communities. While incarcerated, he transformed himself into a powerful theorist, writingSoledad Brother andBlood in My Eye, works that remain foundational to Black radical thought. Jackson’s revolutionary praxis called for the overthrow of capitalism and the prison system, which he identified as tools of racialized oppression. On August 21, 1971, he was assassinated by prison guards in San Quentin. His life and work continue to inspire abolitionist and anti-imperialist movements worldwide.

Resources for Further Reading

To learn more about George Jackson’s legacy and the ideas discussed in this episode, check out these books:

George Jackson,Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson:https://bookshop.org/a/109212/9781556522307

Angela Y. Davis,Are Prisons Obsolete?:https://bookshop.org/a/109212/9781583225813

Golden Gulag: Prisons, Surplus, Crisis, and Opposition in Globalizing California Volume 21:https://bookshop.org/a/109212/9780520242012