Revolution Books Chicago

Tuesday Sept. 13 at 7:00 pm   ON THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTICA REBELLION FEATURING FILM CLIPS FROM    DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE AND EYES ON THE PRIZE September 9th - 13th will be the 40th anniversary of the Attica prison rebellion in New York, and the police massacre of 43 prisoners and guards. Forty years ago, the men locked down in Attica rose in rebellion demanding to be treated like human beings. Like those in the yard, the prisoners' leadership included Blacks, Puerto Ricans, Native Americans and whites... Debate and discussion flourished in small groups and mass meetings. An observer from the New York Times wrote, 'The racial harmony that prevailed among the prisoners...was absolutely astonishing,' and a prisoner reflected, 'I actually cried, it was so close, everyone was so together.' The rebelling prisoners issued a statement 'To the People of America' and they struggled over huge questions like exacting revenge for all they had suffered. 'These things [previous grievances with prison guards now held hostage] became obsolete in my mind because something much higher was at stake.'" Their heroic actions and the way they conducted themselves showed that people who had been condemned as the "worst of the worst" could rise above the muck and mire, and transform themselves in ways that pointed to the possibility of radical social change. The memory of Attica is something people, especially young people, need to know about today. This legacy counters justifications given for warehousing 2.4 million plus in jails across the U.S. today. It could spark discussion and debate over whether those locked down today are common criminals, or even "monsters" who deserve to be locked in these dungeons, or the victims of a new system of social control. Each $10 Donation will enable Prisoners Revolutionary Literature Fund to send a copy of "BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian" to a prisoner.