Aug. 15, 1975: Joan Little Acquitted
Joan Little used deadly force to resist sexual assault and was the first to successfully defend herself in court leading to acquittal.
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Theme: Criminal Justice & Incarceration
Criminal Justice & Incarceration
April 6, 1968: Bobby Hutton Killed by Oakland Police
Little Bobby Hutton (age 17) of the Black Panther Party was shot dead by the Oakland police.
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Teaching Social Activism in Prison: The Leap Manifesto and Incarcerated Youth
Article. By Rachel Boccio. Rethinking Schools, Winter 2018.
A Connecticut educator who taught English to incarcerated young men for 20 years describes what happened when she introduced her students to the Canadian “Leap Manifesto.”
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A Connecticut educator who taught English to incarcerated young men for 20 years describes what happened when she introduced her students to the Canadian “Leap Manifesto.”
One Long Night: A Global History of Concentration Camps
Book — Non-fiction. By Andrea Pitzer. 2017. 480 pages.
Starting with 1890s Cuba, this book is a chronological and geopolitical history of concentration camps that is filled with prisoner perspectives.
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Starting with 1890s Cuba, this book is a chronological and geopolitical history of concentration camps that is filled with prisoner perspectives.
June 25, 2002: Tamir Rice Born
Killed by the police only twelve years later, today Tamir Rice was born.
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Just Mercy: A True Story of the Fight for Justice (Adapted for Young Adults)
Book — Non-fiction. By Bryan Stevenson. 2019. 288 pages.
This young adult adaptation provides readers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned.
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This young adult adaptation provides readers a glimpse into the lives of the wrongfully imprisoned.
Blood in the Water: The Attica Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
Book — Non-fiction. By Heather Ann Thompson. 2016. 752 pages.
The hidden history of the infamous 1971 Attica Prison Uprising.
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The hidden history of the infamous 1971 Attica Prison Uprising.
April 21, 1930: Inmates Burned Alive in Ohio State Penitentiary Fire
Three hundred and twenty-two inmates were killed in a fire at the Ohio State Penitentiary.
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Attica Prison Uprising
Resource list. Overview with links to articles, books, primers, films, and websites about the Attica Prison Uprising for the classroom.
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Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era
Book — Non-fiction. By Jerry Mitchell. 2020. 432 pages.
An account of one journalist's search for the long-buried truths that could bring killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, and the Mississippi Burning case.
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An account of one journalist's search for the long-buried truths that could bring killers to justice for the assassination of Medgar Evers, the firebombing of Vernon Dahmer, the 16th Street Church bombing in Birmingham, and the Mississippi Burning case.
Passionate Declarations: Essays on War and Justice
Book — Non-fiction. By Howard Zinn. 2003. 368 pages.
A selection of passionate, honest, and piercing essays looking at political ideology in the United States.
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A selection of passionate, honest, and piercing essays looking at political ideology in the United States.
Justice in Everyday Life: The Way It Really Works
Books — Non-fiction. Howard Zinn. 1974.
Howard Zinn's book on the way justice really works in the U.S. and how it can change for the better.
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Howard Zinn's book on the way justice really works in the U.S. and how it can change for the better.
Chokehold: Policing Black Men
Book — Non-fiction. By Paul Butler. 2018. 320 pages.
A former federal prosecutor explains how the criminal justice system works against the people and how we can disrupt its abuse.
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A former federal prosecutor explains how the criminal justice system works against the people and how we can disrupt its abuse.
America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion Since the 1960s
Book — Non-Fiction. By Elizabeth Hinton. 2021. 224 pages.
The rebellion and movement for Black lives of 2020 had clear precursors, this book explains, and any attempt to understand that crisis requires a reckoning with the recent past.
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The rebellion and movement for Black lives of 2020 had clear precursors, this book explains, and any attempt to understand that crisis requires a reckoning with the recent past.
Feb. 2 and 5, 1951: Virginia Executes the Martinsville Seven
In 1951, the Commonwealth of Virginia executed seven Black men despite a national campaign in their defense.
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Feb. 12, 1938: Ellen Harris Refuses to Move for White Passenger
Ellen Harris told the bus driver she would accept a refund and get off the bus, but the driver refused to accept her terms and had her arrested for breaking segregation law.
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July 24, 1973: Twelve-Year-Old Santos Rodriguez Killed By Police
Twelve-year-old Santos Rodriguez and his 13-year-old brother David were pulled from their home in Dallas, Texas, handcuffed, and put inside a police car. Santos was killed when one of the officers played Russian roulette to try to force the boys to confess to a crime.
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Aug. 9, 1970: The Mangrove Nine Arrested in London
Nine Black activists were arrested in London, England and charged with inciting a riot when they led over 150 protestors in a march against police harassment.
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No Kids in Prison
Website. NoKidsinPrison uses art to model, imagine and advocate for alternatives to youth incarceration by lifting up the voices of youth most impacted by the criminal justice system through art and culture.
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May 15, 2010: Kalief Browder Arrested, Held for Three Years with No Trial
Kalief Browder was arrested at the age of 16 for allegedly stealing a backpack weeks before in the Bronx.
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No More Police: A Case for Abolition
Book — Non-fiction. By Mariame Kaba and Andrea Ritchie. 2022. 400 pages.
No More Police calls on us to turn away from systems that perpetrate violence in the name of ending it toward a world where violence is the exception, and safe, well-resourced and thriving communities are the rule.
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No More Police calls on us to turn away from systems that perpetrate violence in the name of ending it toward a world where violence is the exception, and safe, well-resourced and thriving communities are the rule.
July 16, 1949: Groveland Four Arrested
Four African Americans were brutally beaten and arrested after being falsely accused of a crime in Groveland, Florida.
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May 17, 1980: Miami Riots Begin
Following the acquittal of four Miami police officers in the brutal murder of Arthur McDuffie, Black residents rose up in protest at the injustice of these acquittals.
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June 29, 2021: Environmental Activist Charged with “Domestic Terrorism”
Environmental activist and member of the Catholic Worker movement, Jessica Reznicek, was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for “domestic terrorism” for acts of civil disobedience and property damage intended to stop the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
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Aug. 31, 1973: Gainesville 8 Acquitted
Members of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) were arrested and erroneously charged with inciting violence at the 1972 Republican National Convention in Miami. They were all later acquitted after a lengthy and much publicized trial.
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