Abstract
This essay is a personal and intellectual autobiographical analysis ofthe roots and dynamics of the development and conclusion of acultural icon in the history of American prisons, the Attica PrisonRebellion. In 1971 Attica Prison in New York State became the blood spilled by agents of the government in the retaking of the prison. This personal essay about the Attica conflict weavesmeaning and understanding which is viewed through the lens of thepersonal development of the author. The threads of the tapestry are colored in race and slavery, the social and political upheaval of the 1960’s, the cultural imagery of prisoners and prisons, political rituals and the power of the state against the power of the people. Descriptions of the personal experiences, political and intellectual development of the author, who has studied and taught about prisons and violence for 25 years, and their links to the events at Attica allow the reader to see the subjective and personal meaning of the social and political conflict and the human costs of placing imagery over substance in conflict resolution.