Sostre At 100: A Revolutionary Life

This two-night event highlights Martin Sostre's lifetime commitment to revolutionary study and political education through a documentary film screening, panel discussions, and an exhibition.
Wednesday, March 22, hosted at the Harry Belafonte Library, will include a screening of the short documentary film, Frame-Up! The Imprisonment of Martin Sostre (1974) followed by a panel discussion with Sostre's comrades Lorenzo Kom'boa Ervin, Antonio Rodriguez, Sylvia Rodriguez, Jerry Ross, and Sandy Shevack, moderated by William C. Anderson.
Thursday, March 23, hosted at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, will feature a keynote conversation between abolitionist educator Mariame Kaba and imprisoned (dis)organizer Stevie Wilson. Following, will be a discussion about the Imprisoned Black Radical Tradition with Masia Mugmuk, Jose Saldana, and Laura Whitehorn, moderated by Orisanmi Burton.
Martin Sostre (1923-2015) advocated for prisoners’ rights to religious freedom, political expression, and due process regarding prison censorship and solitary confinement. He was also a teacher and mentor, as the owner of the radical Afro-Asian Bookshop in Buffalo, New York, and a community organizer with the Juvenile Education and Awareness Project in New Jersey.
This event is hosted by the New York Public Library's Jail & Prison Services team, in collaboration with the Harry Belafonte Library and the Martin Sostre Institute.
Major support for this event is provided by the Mellon Foundation.