On Saturday, Black August Detroit was recognized in Highland Park.
Shawanna Vaughn of Silent Cry, the nonprofit that brought the gathering together, says Black August started in the 1970s and commemorates Black freedom fighters and prisoners.
“It’s to talk about liberation, freedom and political agendas for the people,” says Vaughn.
Vaughn was formally incarcerated and has used her experiences to organize events like this for educational purposes. She says bringing this to Detroit helps shed light on what she says are some major flaws in Michigan’s justice system, like mass incarceration.
“Michigan has to talk about mass incarceration and the toll it takes on the taxpayer. Michigan has to have this conversation because nobody is better locked up,” Vaughn says.
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