This is a hand-carved block print depicting Martin Sostre is a special edition print that raises funds for Books Through Bars. Each print purchase raises $10 that goes towards helping the incarcerated receive free requested books that are not available in prisons or prison libraries. a Black radical intellectual, political prisoner, anarchist, and bookseller whose life became a landmark case in the fight for prisoners’ rights and free expression. Sostre founded the Afro-Asian Bookshop in Buffalo, New York, a center for Black liberation literature and political organizing. In 1967, he was targeted by local police and falsely convicted on drug charges, as retaliation for his political work.

While imprisoned, Sostre endured years of solitary confinement, suffered horrific brutality, and became a self-taught jailhouse lawyer, waging legal battles against censorship, racist punishment, and inhumane prison conditions. His case reached the federal courts and helped establish major precedents affirming the constitutional rights of incarcerated people, including access to political literature and protection from punitive isolation. Sostre is a symbol of resistance, intellectual defiance, and the ongoing struggle against state repression.

Printing technique: The image is transferred using traditional relief printing methods, with each impression done manually, the end result of each print showcases subtle variations that make every print unique. The paper is formed from reclaimed cotton fiber, giving it a soft texture, visible inclusions, and natural irregular edges that reflect its handmade origin.

Suitable for framing or archival storage.

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