From Attica to South Carolina: Heather Ann Thompson on the Roots of the Nationwide Prison Strike

'Prisoners in at least 17 states are expected to strike on August 21st in a mass mobilization demanding improved living conditions, sentencing reform, the right to vote and the end of “prison slave labor.” The weeks-long strike begins on the 47th anniversary of the killing of Black Panther George Jackson, who was shot and killed by guards during an escape attempt from San Quentin prison. It will end on September 9, the 47th anniversary of the deadly Attica prison uprising. Democracy Now! speaks with Heather Ann Thompson, American historian, author and activist. She is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy. She is a professor of history at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Also joined by prison strike organizers Amani Sawari and Cole Dorsey.'