Reviews

The Purpose of Power: How to Build Movements for the 21st Century by Alicia Garza

chavelita_333's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective

ralphiereads76's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.5

11corvus11's review against another edition

5.0

I wish I could have read this when I first became an activist and organizer long ago. I don't necessarily agree perfectly with all of her tactical choices, but I definitely understand and value all of them. It gave me a lot to think about. Better review when I'm not on my phone.

ninakeller's review against another edition

5.0

I started reading this just after the announcement that Biden won. Garza says it matters who you elect to resist, and I very much look forward to challenging this administration once the current blight on the US presidency vacates the office.

Garza’s story is inspiring, and her experience offers a valuable and educational perspective on movement building. I highly recommend reading this and the book of her co-founder, Patrisse Khan-Cullors.

breadandmushrooms's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-paced

3.0

magicmallika's review against another edition

5.0

An amazing, eye-opening, and powerful read. As someone who is also interested/has work in community organizing and building political power within this community, I was able to take away many lessons and skills from this book. Alicia describes with detail how she was able to take rage, despair, grief, and exhaustion into a source of love and power for her community, and for black folks around the nation. Rage is a concept within leftism and progressivism that drives people to act upon their lack of privilege in ways that consistently conflict other opinions from other leftists and progressives—and I genuinely believe Garza beautifully articulated the necessity and empowerment that exists when one can take those feelings of powerlessness, and turn them into something beautiful.

TL;DR: read this book!! it is powerful for community organizing, and for understanding the motives and strategies behind it. :)

rutt's review against another edition

grateful there are people doing this sort of politically-oriented, highly skilled, academic, and organized planning and community organizing. and, it's not how i best show up in revolutionary work or the work that excites me as it always feels a bit too closely intertwined and enmeshed with the values of dominator culture. i felt this way multiple times while listening to this audiobook.

katiez0314's review against another edition

3.0

This is a great read for anyone curious about the start of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as for anyone who wants to know more about Organizing and being an authentic part of a movement. I learned a lot from Garza. In my recommendation of this book, I highly recommend the chapter on Identity Politics for a deep dive into what role identity plays in power. I annotated almost every page of that single chapter.

arimudan's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense

5.0

kmatthe2's review against another edition

5.0

Important book for our times.