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Reviews tagging 'Racism'
If They Come in the Morning: Voices of Resistance by Angela Y. Davis
2 reviews
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Gun violence and War
hallsifer's review
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
A collection of essays, letters and some poetry, this book is very easy to read and understand while not skimping on theory, conviction or historical sourcing, however the nature of it being a collection of essays does mean some points are repeated. The focus of the book, if you’re coming in blind, is prison abolition in the USA/occupied turtle island and specifically focuses on the Black Panther Party’s efforts as well as wider systemic racism in the prison system.
Do be prepared for a very exhausting realisation - nothings fucking changed. Every step forward has been repressed, forcibly forgotten, fractured & obfuscated to the point that nothing has been taught in formal education. The movements and history have been so far removed from newcomers to left wing politics that it’s depressing finding everything is an ongoing problem with the same words used across time to describe it. The patterns of police brutality repeat themselves over & over again and are still to face consequences by a fascist legal system…but why would they!
It’s broken in half by Ericka Huggins poetry, which further affirms both the radical struggles of oppressed communities (this book obviously highlights and emphasises the very real fact Black people are served with heavier and far more ruthless sentences for minor crimes compared to other ethnicities, while also stressing the necessity of solidarity between all imprisoned people) & the inhumanity of the fascist states' use of incarceration. Political poetry carries messages far smoother than any other medium, I find.
Two sections I found personally important were how prison reform is simply changing the picture frame but keeping the same picture, and another is a direct quote from Angela Y. Davis -
Do be prepared for a very exhausting realisation - nothings fucking changed. Every step forward has been repressed, forcibly forgotten, fractured & obfuscated to the point that nothing has been taught in formal education. The movements and history have been so far removed from newcomers to left wing politics that it’s depressing finding everything is an ongoing problem with the same words used across time to describe it. The patterns of police brutality repeat themselves over & over again and are still to face consequences by a fascist legal system…but why would they!
It’s broken in half by Ericka Huggins poetry, which further affirms both the radical struggles of oppressed communities (this book obviously highlights and emphasises the very real fact Black people are served with heavier and far more ruthless sentences for minor crimes compared to other ethnicities, while also stressing the necessity of solidarity between all imprisoned people) & the inhumanity of the fascist states' use of incarceration. Political poetry carries messages far smoother than any other medium, I find.
Two sections I found personally important were how prison reform is simply changing the picture frame but keeping the same picture, and another is a direct quote from Angela Y. Davis -
Parenthetically, I would like to raise the question as to why the law, allegedly designed to protect the rights of the people, is virtually incomprehensible to the people.
Overall, I found this an essential read to further understand the Black revolutionary struggle & the history of prison abolition movements.as well as establish context with current movements that share goals - today it’s movements like & including BLM and its allies. While it’s very USA-centric it shouldn’t be written off, it’s important to recognise solidarity around the world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Police brutality, Racism, and Violence
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