A review by othersideoftherain
The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century by Grace Lee Boggs

4.0

A wonderful book and truly a breath of fresh air. Boggs offers a clear-cut and precisely worded look at her experiences in activism and what she sees as a way forward. Activist circles tend to be--understandably--places of anger, and though that anger is righteous, it doesn't fuel us into true change. That's something I've been feeling lately and grappling with myself, and to see Boggs so skillfully dive into how hope as a practice is more useful than anger could ever be made me feel a little more sane. I particularly enjoyed Boggs' discourse on rebellion versus revolution, and the idea of creating something complete new instead of simply installed our preferred people into the existing systems of power.

Though of course, Boggs does not speak very much on ways to directly combat the political system as it is currently, her vision for the future is lush and verdant, and it makes me feel hopeful. A must-read for anyone engaging in activism on any level--from community gardeners to movement leaders.