Unyielding Resistance: Perspectives on Political Prisoners and the Lifelong Pursuit of Freedom

The fight for justice and freedom for political prisoners in the US has long been rooted in revolutionary struggle against state violence and political repression. Since the 1960s, resistance to politically motivated incarceration has taken many forms, both inside and outside prison walls. Garrett Felber, author of A Continuous Struggle: The Revolutionary Life of Martin Sostre, highlights Sostre’s legacy as a political prisoner who used his time behind bars to fight against multiple forms of oppression. As a jailhouse lawyer, bookseller, anti-rape organizer, and housing justice activist, Sostre’s work in the 1960s-70s helped shape Black Power movements and redefine resistance, underscoring the need for diverse strategies to challenge injustice. Russell “Maroon” Shoatz’s children, Russell Shoatz III and Sharon Shoatz, join the panel to discuss their late father’s legacy and their advocacy for political prisoners. Russell Shoatz III, who fought for his father’s release after five decades of imprisonment, brings deep experience in restorative justice, anti-racism, and youth development. Sharon Shoatz, a retired NYC educator and civil rights advocate, reflects on her work with the Panther Cubs and the broader liberation movement. Their late father’s memoir, I Am Maroon: The True Story of an American Political Prisoner, co-written with Kanya D’Almeida, provides a firsthand account of resistance and redemption. Moderated by Claude Marks, Director of the Freedom Archives and a former political prisoner, this panel will also highlight the crucial work of The Freedom Archives, which preserves archives of radical movements and political prisoner narratives from the 1960s-1990s, ensuring their legacies endure. This conversation bridges past and present struggles against politically motivated incarceration in the US, and will be a powerful reminder that the fight for freedom is continuous, ever-evolving, and necessary to the transformation of a just and free society.