Dennis, George, Tookie, Joe, Bruce, and Big Heroin Throw Pillow

"Dennis, George, Tookie, Joe, Bruce, and Big Heroin," is a part of the "Black August 40th Anniversary by Joedee," a series of works the Compton raised prisoner-artist created in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Black August. Black August started in 1979 as a commemoration of Khatari Gaulden, who was killed the year before on Aug. 1 as a result of medical neglect by San Quentin Prison authorities. Instead of adding Aug. 1 to the existing days of observation that marked the deaths of activists like W.L. Nolen, Alvin Miller, Cleveland Edwards, and George and Jonathan Jackson, the prisoners standing in resistance to the massive California prison-industrial complex declared the whole month to be Black August. While Black August as a month-long in memoriam occurred after the 1978 death of Khatari Gaulden, it was inspired by the first in memoriam of the August 21, 1971, Death of George Lester Jackson in San Quentin. The artist specifically requested his Series be released on August 2...