Black August Commemoration Connects Legacy of Resistance to Black Worker Power Across Southern California

Southern California Black Worker Hub and community organizations gather in Los Angeles to honor Black political prisoners and strengthen the regional movement for economic justice

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than five decades after Black August emerged from California's prison movement, Black worker centers, organizers and community leaders gathered in South Los Angeles Wednesday with a clear message: the responsibility to resist injustice did not end with the movements of the past.

The Southern California Black Worker Hub's 3rd Annual Black August Commemoration, held August 19 at The Beehive, brought together workers, labor leaders, artists, healers, elected officials and community organizations under the theme "Resistance: Rest. Resist. Rebuild."

Throughout the evening, participants connected Black August's origins in the 1970s to the resistance Black communities continue to lead today—against oppression in healthcare, education, housing and workplaces, as well as political oppression and state violence.

The commemoration honored Black political prisoners and freedom fighters while reflecting on the responsibility of a new generation to carry forward a legacy of organizing, political education, community care and collective action.

Cohosted by Emmy Award-winning producer, abolitionist and organizer Richie Reseda, whose own experience with incarceration and work on the acclaimed documentary-musical Songs from the Hole brought particular resonance to the evening, the gathering explored resistance alongside healing, transformation and rebuilding.

Central to the commemoration was the work Black Worker Centers are leading across Southern California through their #EchoBlackVoices initiatives expanding industry access, career pathways and protections through worker organizing, education, workplace resources, career development and political advocacy.

The evening reinforced a broader understanding of worker justice: what happens to Black people in their workplaces cannot be separated from what happens in their homes, schools, healthcare systems and communities.

Black Worker Centers and sibling community organizations from throughout Southern California also used the gathering to strengthen community relationships, share knowledge and reinforce a regional commitment to Black worker power.

"There is a heightened sense of power and collective inspiration when our Black Worker Centers gather together and alongside our sibling community organizations," said Dawn Modkins, Director of the Southern California Black Worker Hub for Regional Organizing. "Building trust, strengthening relationships and collaborating across communities are not secondary to the work. They are part of how we win."

Through the #EchoBlackVoices initiative, the Hub and its partners are building a regional network that connects Black workers to resources and opportunities, strengthens workplace protections, develops worker leadership and creates pathways toward greater economic security.

More than 50 years after the first Black August, the circumstances have changed, but the mandate to organize has not. Across Southern California, Black Worker Centers are carrying that mandate forward by organizing workers, developing leaders, strengthening community relationships and building greater economic and collective power.

About the Southern California Black Worker Hub

The Southern California Black Worker Hub for Regional Organizing works alongside Black Worker Centers and community partners throughout Southern California to strengthen Black worker power. Through regional collaboration, worker education, organizing and advocacy, the Hub and its partners work to expand Access, Pathways and Protections that create greater economic opportunity for Black workers and their communities.

SOURCE Southern California Black Worker Hub