The Attica Uprising, In Black And White: Vintage Photos From One Of The Worst Prison Riots In U.S. History

UPDATED: 3:30 p.m. ET, Sept. 9, 2024

Monday marked the 53rd anniversary of the start of the Attica Prison Uprising, one of the worst prison riots in U.S. history that began on Sept. 9, 1971, and lasted for four harrowing days.

The photo scenes presented here from those fateful four days are meant to paint an accurate picture of what exactly happened a half-century ago at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York.

MORE: How U.S. Government’s Lies About Attica Uprising Fueled Lingering Mistrust Of The System

When the smoke cleared, dozens of people were killed and even more injured in a hail of bullets fired by state troopers and National Guardsmen — an act of indiscriminate violence that the government intentionally blamed on the prisoners, who, it was later determined, actually killed no one during the uprising.

The rebellion was years in the making following unanswered demands for improved living conditions that included overcrowded cells and allegations of racial and religious persecutions against the majority Black and brown inmates made of up African Americans and Hispanics.

In an attempt at mediation, people like Black Panthers leader Bobby Seale and civil rights attorney William Kuntsler were brought in to talk to inmates. However, Seale left the prison after just 25 minutes because he wasn’t given access to the cellblock that was being controlled by the inmates, the New York Times reported at the time.

“This morning the Commissioner (New York State Correction Commissioner Russell G. Oswald) and his aides would not let me in, saying that if I was not going inside to encourage the prisoners to accept the so-called demands made by the committee, they did not want me,” Seale said after his visit to Attica. “I’m not going to do that.”

Seale added later: The Black Panther party position is this: The prisoners have to make their own decisions. I will not encourage them to compromise their position.”

The inmates ended up getting 28 of their demands for prison reform met. However, a half-century later, much of the entire episode remains shrouded in secrecy as much of the official government reports on the uprising and rebellion have been redacted.

In particular, it remains unclear what evidence if any was presented to a grand jury during an investigation into the rebellion and uprising, including an alleged cover-up by corrections officials that included a false narrative of inmates killing hostages when it was actually police officers and the National Guard responsible for the deaths.

Keep reading to find vintage photos from the Attica Prison Uprising as provided by Getty Images, along with their original captions.

The post The Attica Uprising, In Black And White: Vintage Photos From One Of The Worst Prison Riots In U.S. History appeared first on NewsOne.