Che Nieves was in Attica Prison through the summer of 1971, when the tensions were building with Commissioner Oswald, so when the rebellion exploded on September 9th, he wasn't too surprised. In this video he talks about the conditions that led to the rebellion.
This interview is from the Attica is All of Us events in 2021 that marked the 50th anniversary of the rebellion. For more videos please go to the Attica Brothers Foundation YouTube page.
This video is from an interview with Attica Brothers Akil Shakur and Tyrone Larkins. The two men have been friends for more than 50 years and maintain a close relationship. In this clip they talk about the rebellion on September 9, 1971.
In this video Attica Brother Carlos Roché talks about being in D yard on September 9, 1971 and hiding from other inmates who were calling for him. Roché was a master brewer and he had a pocketful of the secret ingredient for making prison wine - bread yeast.
This video is part of a 3-hour interview with Attica Brother Al Victory, who was part of the Attica rebellion, lawsuits, and commemorations from the beginning. In this clip Victory talks about the causes of the rebellion and the political organizing that was happening in the prison before September 9, 1971.
Daniel Sheppard was in D yard on September 13, 1971, trying to dodge bullets and night sticks. In this video he talks about watching the state police shoot at inmates and civilians with no regard for life.
This interview is from the Attica is All of Us events in 2021 that marked the 50th anniversary of the rebellion. For more videos please go to the Attica Brothers Foundation YouTube page.
Sharif Al Hajji was in D yard during the Attica Prison rebellion and was part of the team of Muslim inmates who protected the guards. In this video he talks about the Muslim groups and how they work together to maintain order in the yard.
Isiah Brown was in prison as a young man, learning how to survive. In this video he talks about the lessons he had to learn and the veterans who taught him.
Lewis Steele was one of the observers who went into D yard during the weekend to try to negotiate a settlement between the Attica Brothers and the state. In this video he describes the collection of the observer teams and what he witnessed when he went inside the walls.
Historian and sociologist Bruce Jackson has been a longtime friend and supporter of several of the Attica Brothers. Jackson also had deep relationships with several of the lawyers who committed their lives to the Attica Brothers, and has been documenting the Attica Family for more than 50 years in photographs, audio recordings, and film.
Carol Dudek worked as an office assistant in Attica Lawyer Elizabeth Fink's office, the heart of the civil litigation effort. Dudek met dozens of Attica Brothers and worked with many of the key figures in the lawsuit against New York, including Big Black.
In this video she talks about the experience of working with Fink and the Attica Brothers, and the environment around the office.
Eddie LaShure was in Attica prison in the months leading up to the rebellion and part of conversations that eventually helped bring structure to the events in D yard. In this video he talks about the importance of the phrase Attica is All of Us, and how we can come together to support our incarcerated neighbors.
Martin Stolar has represented protestors and other dissidents from the very beginning of his career, and has been involved with the National Lawyers Guild for nearly as long. In this video Stolar talks about his work organizing lawyers with the Guild to represent radical clients including the Attica Brothers.
Flint Taylor was a lawyer with the People's Law Office in Chicago, affiliated with the National Lawyer's Guild and Attica Brothers Legal Defense. In this video Taylor talks about working with Fred Hampton and the importance of fighting for racial justice, at Attica and nationwide.
Jeff Haas was one of the co-founders of the People's Law Office in Chicago and a supporter of the Attica Brothers legal effort. In this video he talks about what it meant to be a radical lawyer in an age of rebellion.
Melville is the son of Attica Brother and radical organizer Sam Melville who was murdered by New York State Police officer Vincent Tobia during the retaking of Attica prison on September 13, 1971. In this video Melville describes how he uncovered the details of his fathers murder.
James Asbury was in D yard during the retaking of Attica Prison and is still dealing with the after effects. In this video he talks about the cruelty of the State Police after they regained control of the prison.
Pat Handlen worked with Attica Brothers Legal Defense on the trials of Attica Brothers for bogus charges related to the Attica Prison rebellion. In this video she talks about the lasting legacy of the work between the Brothers and the Lawyers, and what we can learn from their efforts today.
Emani Davis is the daughter of Attica Brothers Jomo Davis and Attica Lawyer Elizabeth Gaynes. In this video she talks about growing up in a family of radical thinkers and her experience with her dad.
This interview is from the Attica is All of Us events in 2021 that marked the 50th anniversary of the rebellion. For more videos please go to the Attica Brothers Foundation YouTube page.
Margaret Ratner-Kunstler was part of Attica Brothers Legal Defense and the effort to get bogus charges against the Attica Brothers dismissed. In this video she talks about the movement work she was doing before the Attica rebellion and how it impacted her work on Attica.
Mara Siegel was an anti-racist activist in 1971 who protested outside Attica Prison during the rebellion and was inspired by the lawyers of Attica Brothers Legal Defense to pursue a legal career. In this video she talks about meeting people like Michael Deutsch and Frank 'Big Black' Smith.
Lennox Hinds was a member of the National Conference of Black Lawyers and part of the early organizers of Attica Brothers Legal Defense. In this video Hinds talks about the urgency of forming defense groups when the state filed bogus charges against the men who had been in D yard.
Stainthorp worked with both Attica Brothers Legal Defense in New York and the People's Law Office in Chicago doing radical movement work in the courtroom. In this video he talks about what he learned from working with the Attica Brothers and ABLD, and the ongoing need for work of this kind.
Heath was still in law school during the Attica Prison rebellion, so he knew what he wanted to work on when he got out. In this video Heath talks about scrambling to pull together a team to defend the Attica Brothers against bogus allegations after the retaking of Attica Prison.
Emily Goodman was a young lawyer in 1971 and one of the first people into the prison after the retaking by State Police. In this video she talks about the difficulty they had in seeing the Brothers, and the intimidation they felt from guards at the prison.
Elizabeth Gaynes was a lawyer for the Attica Brothers and eventually married Jomo Davis. In this video she talks about the intimidation and surveillance she dealt with from state police during Jomo's trials.
Daniel Alterman was a young radical lawyer in 1971, and one of the first people in Attica Prison after the retaking. In this video he talks about the importance of living the phrase "Attica is All of Us" and how it is still impacting his life today.
Lawyer Dan Pachoda was part of the legal team that came together to defend the Attica Brothers from thousands of bogus charges that came down after the retaking of Attica Prison. In this clip he talks to interviewer Daniel Alterman about arguing with State officials over the treatment of their clients.
Attorney Bob Boyle talks about his relationship with Attica Brother Frank "Big Black" Smith, and what it was like working with the close-knit Attica Family.
Michael Deutsch has been part of the People's Law Office in Chicago for most of his career, and was a key figure in the successful 25-year civil suit against the state of New York. In this video he talks about the legal strategy of ABLD and some of the Attica Brothers who he came to know and love.
This interview is from the Attica is All of Us events in 2021 that marked the 50th anniversary of the rebellion. For more videos please go to the Attica Brothers Foundation YouTube page.
Dan Meyers was part of the team that pursued civil litigation against the state for the retaking of Attica Prison, helping put the Attica Brothers on offense. In this video he explains the decisions that led to the settlement in 2001, and how the deck had been stacked against them by the state.
This interview is from the Attica is All of Us events in 2021 that marked the 50th anniversary of the rebellion. For more videos please go to the Attica Brothers Foundation YouTube page.