George Jackson (Black Panther)
| George Jackson | |
|---|---|
Cover of Soledad Brother
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| Born |
George Lester Jackson September 23, 1941 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | August 21, 1971 (aged 29) San Quentin, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Shooting |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Prison activist and cofounder of the Black Guerrilla Family |
| Parent(s) | Lester and Georgia Bea Jackson |
| Relatives | Jonathan Jackson (brother) |
George Lester Jackson (September 23, 1941 – August 21, 1971) was an African-American activist, Marxist, author, a member of the Black Panther Party, and co-founder of the Black Guerrilla Family while incarcerated. Jackson achieved fame as one of the Soledad Brothers and was later shot dead by guards in San Quentin Prison following an unsuccessful escape attempt.
Born in Chicago, Jackson was the second son of Lester and Georgia Bea Jackson's five children. He spent time in the California Youth Authority Corrections facility in Paso Robles due to several juvenile convictions including armed robbery, assault, and burglary.
In 1961, he was convicted of armed robbery (stealing $70 at gunpoint from a gas station) and sentenced to serve one year to life in prison.
During his first years at San Quentin State Prison, Jackson became involved in revolutionary activity, where he allegedly assaulted guards and inmates. Such behavior, in turn, was used to justify his continued incarceration on an indeterminate sentence. He was described by prison officials as egocentric and anti-social. In 1966, Jackson met and befriended W.L. Nolen who introduced him to Marxist and Maoist ideology. The two founded the Black Guerrilla Family in 1966 based on Marxist and Maoist political thought. In speaking of his ideological transformation, Jackson remarked "I met Marx, Lenin, Trotsky, Engels, and Mao when I entered prison and they redeemed me."
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