The Real Cost of Prisons Weblog

Frank Smith was a large Black man, at least 250 lbs. and over 6 feet tall. While serving his nine years in Attica he was the prison football coach. He was popular and well liked by inmates and staff alike. This was one reason he was chosen to be the chief of security by the inmates during the rebellion. This meant he was responsible for the safety of the outside in observers and negotiators during the four day uprising. After his release in 1972 he was encouraged by
other Attica Brothers to work with attorney Liz Fink in search of some sort of justice for those murdered by the state of new York and the national guard.

I was in prison when George Jackson was killed and i was still in prison a month later in Sept '71 when the Attica massacre happened. Not only my own prison experience but these historic events affected my heart and soul; thus shaping my politics and my
life for all time. Upon release i got even more aware and politicized and was part of the 70's prison movement in the Pacific Northwest. I even went back to prison as a political prisoner.

In 1973 'Black' was touring for the Attica Brothers Defense Committee and we honored him as the keynote speaker at CON-vention (an organization for ex-cons based in Seattle).He stayed with a close comrade/brother and we broaden our understanding of how Attica Is All Of Us as we talked and hung out.

In 1974 two more Attica Brothers came west and we continued our local support work. Then again in spring of 1975 'Black' returned and this time we got him and the Shulasmith Firestone Attica movie inside two washington state prisons (one was Purdy prison for women). One of my best memories of those times was when
'Black' and Mark Cook came over to our very dyke house and made us breakfast in bed. It was truly a beautiful sharing of love and solidarity; and the food was great! August '75, we traveled to Buffalo for a huge national Attica memorial march that was very well attended by people who were doing prison work all around
the country. We stayed with 'Black' and Akil during this trip. We also met several other dykes who were going into women's prisons and we stayed in regular communication for the next couple
of years.

Now, i went on about the business of my life and didn't see 'Black' for some years but i always kept up with the Attica Defense Committee and the 30 year struggle to get that case to court. I even went back to prison as a political prisoner. I paroled to the sf bay area Jan '86 and was soon engaged in prisoner support
work around the lexington control unit built for political prisoners.

In 1997 a jury award Frank Smith $4 million in damages for his torture over a 36 hour period after the Attica prison rebellion in 1971. A jubilant Frank Smith broke down and cried in the courtroom. He sobbed so loudly that District Judge Elfvin asked him to wait in the hall. Afterwards, he said, "I hope every one of them who were hurt gets $4 million. This jury is sending a message--Just because you're in prison they can't beat you like a dog and get away with it." The $4 million judgement was overturned in August.

In 1998 Frank 'Big Black' Smith was part of yet another history making event. Critical Resistance, a conference
at UC Berkeley, brought together more the 3500 people from around the country (many who were ex-prisoners) to discuss and organize around what had by then become the gigantic prison
industrial complex. On one panel sat Raphel Cancel Miranda, Frank 'Big Black' Smith, Ed Mead and bo brown. These folks represented about 60-70 years worth of time behind the walls and they all had continued to be activists in their communities.

I saw 'Black' a few more times either here or in New York. We talked occasionally on the phone. Even when he was in the hospital, he always had a genuine interest in what i was doing and how i was doing it. He wasn't a perfect person. Neither am i. Actually, i don't like perfect people and neither did he. He was a good person
and he made me feel like i was a good person, too. He was a stubborn and strong individual who took on an extremely hard job for many many years with little or no pay and pursued with honor to teach everyone possible that ATTICA IS ALL OF US.....