Black August is a mo(ve)ment to build community and honor the struggle of our political prisoners. In collaboration with SF Solidarity Collective, there will be keynotes from Dwayne “Bim” Staats and Jarreau “Ruk” Ayers, updates from Leonard Peltier ad Hoc Committee, audio message from Xinachtli (formerly Alvaro Luna Hernandez), panel facilitated by Mattie Loyce, and special musical arrangements. Join us for an evening of reflection, comradeship, art and food. 

Xinachtli (formerly Alvaro Luna Hernandez) has a long history of principled anti colonial, anti imperialist struggles, outside and inside prison walls. He is a recognized Chicano political prisoner by the acclaimed National Jericho Movement and a current Field Marshal of Prison Lives Matter, and a leader of the prison Movement inside Texas prisons, going on 23 consecutive years in Texas' supermax control unit in Beeville, TX. 

Dwayne “Bim” Staats is a founder of Believing in Myself, LLC and co-founder of Rebellious Hearts, which is a movement for liberation built upon revolutionary, matriarchal, abolitionist, and Black power principles. He is the self-published co-author of Vaughn 17 Speaks and author of Rebellious Hearts: When Forced Into a Corner, They Attack. 

Jarreau “Ruk” Ayers is a co-founder of Rebellious Hearts, pro-se litigator, revolutionary artist, and self-published co-author of Vaughn 17 Speaks.

Valerie Kiebala is a co-founder of Rebellious Hearts and the managing editor at Solitary Watch. Her writings have appeared in the Root, the Appeal, Truthout, San Francisco Bayview, the Chicago Reporter, and Shadowproof.

Mattie Loyce is an interdisciplinary artist/curator and community advocate originally from and currently based in San Francisco, CA.