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CERTAIN DAYS 2011: POLITICAL PRISONERS - STILL IN THE STRUGGLE

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Marilyn Buck (1947-2010)

The Certain Days collective was deeply saddened to hear of former political prisoner Marilyn Buck’s passing on August 3, 2010, just days after the 2011 calendar went to print. Read our tribute to her and an article she contributed on prison abolition here.

Introduction from Herman Bell, calendar co-founder and editor

In encouraging folks to buy a Certain Days calendar, I tell them: consider yourself a “square” if you don’t have one; and make sure your family, co-workers, and neighbors know about us, too. Certain Days is family; it’s a people’s calendar; it records and reports the people’s business. And like people, it has a birthday. Join us in celebrating Certain Days’ 10th anniversary. “Big-ups” and congratulations to its staff: Sara Falconer, Helen Hudson, Karen Emily, and Amy Schwartz. The soul, wit, and tireless work with which they have fashioned Certain Days are what lends character, panache, and swagger to its publication. And I am proud of being part of its creation and production.

Certain Days is also a political prisoners’ calendar – these are men and women whose finite prison sentences have been turned into virtual life without parole because of their political activism and beliefs when they were on the streets. Despite the decades spent behind prison walls, often in isolation cells, they have not wavered in the fight for social justice. Through written letters, articles, and books, and community projects, they have continued to teach. Yet, sad to say, their names, faces, and personal history remain unknown to many of you. Throughout the decades, some of them have succumbed to illness, and many are simply growing old and yet are still imprisoned.

Early editions were produced by Tynan Jarrett, Lise Kuhn, Helen, and others who were supporters of Victory Gardens Project (VGP), which had strong ties to the growing environmental, organic gardening, ABCF, and general social justice movement. Certain Days continues to educate around critical social justice issues: the environment, (self-help) growing our own food, freedom for our political prisoners, and support of the LGBT community. All of this is so intricately connected and is why Certain Days remains relevant, family, and is why I do all I can, even from behind these prison walls, to help prevent you and yours from being considered a “square.” Hugs and love to you all, and congratulations, Certain Days!

Introduction from the Certain Days collective

In the decade since this calendar was first published, a lot has changed, and yet so much has stayed the same. At the project’s inception, the organizers who became the calendar collective were building relationships with political prisoners Herman Bell, David Gilbert and Seth Hayes – corresponding, visiting, forming friendships and exchanging political ideas. To us, the interconnections were obvious: political prisoners come out of our movements – anti-racist, anti-imperial and anti-war struggles, queer and women’s liberation, and ecological justice to name a few – and as such we owe them our solidarity. Besides, many political prisoners continue to organize, both inside and beyond the prison walls. New organizers have so much to learn, both from the successes of earlier liberation movements and from their errors. And yet, political prisoners were largely isolated from the then-emerging movement against globalized capitalism. When Herman proposed that we produce a calendar, it seemed like the perfect way to make our political prisoners more visible, on a daily basis.

In the early years of the calendar, the events of September 11, 2001 transformed the political landscape in ways we were still coming to understand: new imperialist wars had begun, and here at home the state was using the post-9/11 climate as a carte-blanche to step up repression and retract hard won social gains. As we go to print, in July 2010, the dust is still settling from the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Over 1000 people were detained or arrested in connections with the protests against the G20 meeting in Toronto. Some are facing charges that potentially carry serious prison time. In certain cases the charges are based on information gathered by infiltrators at the very core of their organizations. We can’t help wondering whether history is about to repeat itself.

So this year, for the calendar’s tenth issue, we’re going “back to basics,” putting the focus on the theme of political prisoners: their voices and perspectives, their contributions, the particular issues they face inside prison. Political prisoners are still in the struggle: as organizers, as mentors, and as comrades in need of our solidarity to win their freedom.

The Certain Days collective

Certain Days - a QPIRG Concordia working group
QPIRG Concordia
1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, suite 204
514-848-7583 fax: 514-848-7584
qpirgconcordia.org – qpirg@qpirgconcordia.org