By Magaly Muñoz

Over 600 people packed Grand Lake Theater in Oakland last week for a screening of ‘The Strike,’ a documentary about the longest hunger strike in U.S. history, conducted by incarcerated men living in solitary confinement.

The film follows different men who are part of a generation of inmates subjected to solitary confinement for years at a time, and in some cases, decades. Many of the men were housed inside Pelican Bay State Prison, a solitary housing unit or SHU built in the 1980s, which was considered one of the toughest confinement prisons in California.

These men endured years with little to no human contact, aside from interactions with prison guards, during their confinement. They were stuck in an 8’ by 10’ box for 23 hours a day with only one hour of outdoor recreation in a slightly longer cell that was isolated from the outside world. Some recreation boxes didn’t even provide an open concept for inmates to get fresh air and sunlight.

In 2011, inmates went on a 19-day hunger strike to protest the living conditions inside the prison. Inmates decided to end the strike after leaders with the California Department of Corrections promised they’d make strides with changing policy. Two years later, when no significant changes had been made, inmates went on a second hunger strike, this time, for 59 days.

The documentary shows clips of policy makers and California prison leaders both defending the choices of putting inmates in solitary confinement indefinitely, and those with regret for being part of a system that further oppressed an already vulnerable group of people.

The Post spoke with a participant of the hunger strike and the directors of ‘The Strike’ after the screening.

Director Lucas Guilkey said it was a special experience being able to document the lives of the families and formerly incarcerated men who were affected by the prison system.

An up-and-coming filmmaker at the time of the first strike in 2011, Guilkey was meeting with activists, often mothers, sisters, and wives, who were finally seeing what involuntary confinement was doing to their loved ones.

“The hunger strike was in many ways folks bringing their family members back to them. Demanding to be seen as humans deserving of dignity. And it was a powerful story,” Guilkey told the Post.

Lorenzo “Dadisi” Venton, a hunger striker, spent 31 years in solitary confinement at Pelican Bay. He told the Post that it was surprising how much life outside of prison, specifically his family, could change.

Venton said his sister would send him pictures of their family but had to label who everyone was because he didn’t recognize anyone after so many years inside confinement.

“It really shocked me that I seen pictures of my brother because I hadn’t seen him in a long time. I didn’t recognize my own brother,” Venton said. “I could even look back right now and look at pictures of me when I was younger, and I don’t see me.”

When asked how he did not succumb to the loneliness of being in solitary confinement, he said he held onto hope, even when everyone else gave up.

“I felt that eventually they would have to come to the conclusion that I no longer posed a threat or potential threats to society, and age might be a factor for a lot of us who was released, [and it did] become a factor,” Venton said.

Venton shared that it’s difficult maintaining a job and having to pay bills now that he’s out of prison. He’s living paycheck to paycheck due to the lack of savings or safety net a lot of incarcerated folks lack because of the time spent behind bars.

Even with the difficulties, he said nothing will drive him to ever go back to incarceration because he has so much he wants to do with his life.

Co-director JoeBill Muñoz said that while significant changes to the California corrections system are still a long way off, the shift in policy from where it started to the present, is drastic.

Even if the film does not resonate with people personally, it’s been amazing to see how crowds have reacted to the different stories, Muñoz said.

“There’s a big central message of the film that is about unity and coming together across differences,” Muñoz said. “It’s really powerful that [the film] isn’t just limited to what happens inside prisons, but that it’s applicable in everybody’s lives here on the outside across a spectrum of different issues.”

The Strike will be available for free streaming on PBS for three months starting Feb. 3, 2025.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media 

Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) says he supports Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to expand the state’s Film and Television Tax Credit Program from its current $330 million annual budget allocation to $750 million.

Gipson, who is chair of the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, and Tourism, says, historically, that tax credit has aimed to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion” as outlined in SB 132. 

He’s counting on it to continue making diversity a priority.

“The Legislature finds and declares an overall trend toward increasing diversity based on existing research on diversity in the motion picture production and television industry,” the bill language states.

In a statement, Gipson told California Black Media (CBM) the tax credit, “would allow our state to be more competitive against states with tax incentive programs of their own, such as Georgia, New York, and New Mexico.”

“The film and television industry is iconic to California, impacting thousands of jobs for below-the-line workers on film and television crews, as well as many others working in hair and make-up, food services and transportation, costume and set design, and more,” Gipson continued.

According to the Governor’s office, the increase would uplift the state for capped film incentive programs, surpassing other states. Gipson says he agrees with Newsom’s assessment and the notion that the program would bring more business back to California.

“California is the entertainment capital of the world, rooted in decades of creativity, innovation, and unparalleled talent,” said Newsom on Oct 27 in L.A. at the unveiling of the tax credit.

Newsom’s tax credit proposal is expected to appear as a bill during the next legislative session, raising concerns about diversity, equity, and inclusion for some lawmakers and advocates.

Gipson’s CLBC colleagues Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (D-Los Angeles) and Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) led a faction of legislators who demanded answers from Hollywood last year after several Black women left high-profile executive positions in Hollywood.

A number of those Black executives who left those prominent roles were leading DEI initiatives at major entertainment companies such as Netflix, Disney, British Broadcasting Company, Warner Bros., and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Speaking on behalf of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) employed in the industry, McKinnor and Smallwood Cuevas insist on holding television and film studio executives accountable as they benefit from taxpayer support but often appear reluctant to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

“I was highly offended to see the industry’s response to a $1.6 billion tax subsidy by quietly eliminating Black women from executive positions with a number of studios,” said McKinnor. “Many of these women were involved in their studios’ diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, which raises a serious question about their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the film industry.”

The legislation for this year’s tax credit program has not been written, but Gipson’s staff has indicated that he will not introduce it – even though the issue is close to his heart.

“I applaud the work being done by the California Film Commission, the studios, and the entertainment unions, and I look forward to supporting this proposal next year as it moves through the legislative process,” Gipson said.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

By Richard “Razor” Johnson 

It was a privilege to be invited to be part of the panel for the October 9th screening of the documentary “The Strike” at Sonoma State University.

Students from Caitlin Henry’s Criminology and Justice Studies class attended, and their engagement during the event was inspiring.

After the screening, many students were deeply moved and had the opportunity to ask questions of the Director and Producer, JoeBill Muñoz and Lucas Guilkey, as well as myself, Richard Johnson, one of the hunger strike survivors and a panel speaker. I was one of the ten plaintiffs against the California Department of Corrections, a case that garnered the attention of the United Nations.

Some students lingered after the Q&A, expressing gratitude for raising awareness about the realities faced by those incarcerated. Their emotional responses highlighted the personal connections many have with the prison system, with some sharing experiences of relatives enduring similar conditions. It became clear that there was a significant lack of understanding about the Security Housing Units (SHU) and the stark differences between general population inmates and those confined in Pelican Bay.

On Oct. 23, the Grand Lake Theater will screen “The Strike,” a compelling documentary about Pelican Bay State Prison and the SHU. This film has received numerous accolades, including nominations for “Best Documentary” at the Imagen Awards and the Hot Docs Student Choice Award.

“The Strike” chronicles the harrowing experiences of California men subjected to decades of solitary confinement, culminating in the largest hunger strike in U.S. history. It will also be broadcast nationally on PBS’s Independent Lens in spring 2025.

This documentary is essential viewing, as it critically examines the failures of our judicial system in administering justice and the societal implications of our penal practices. It delves into the psychological torment endured by those held in isolation — many without any rule infractions — and exposes the broader victimization of individuals both inside and outside prison walls.

With over 33,000 inmates participating in the hunger strikes, the film provides an intimate exploration of the power dynamics at play, from the highest levels of state governance to the guards overseeing the units. It reveals the oppressive policies that perpetuate control and abuse within the prison system, ultimately leading to legal interventions to address these injustices.

Don’t miss this powerful documentary that challenges our perceptions of crime and punishment and highlights the resilience of those who fought for justice.

Join us on October 23 at the Grand Lake Theater at 6:30 PM. We will have Q&A at 8:00 PM after the screening with myself and some of the survivors. We look forward to your support and Tickets can be purchased online at www.renaissancerialto.com/TheStrike.php. For more information about the film, visit www.thestrikefilm.com.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post