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A review by axmed
Imprisoned Intellectuals: America's Political Prisoners Write on Life, Liberation, and Rebellion by Joy James
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
incredible book, which is why I gave it 5* despite the following critique of the editor:
first critical thoughts on Imprissoned Intelectuals:
- putting those behind 1993 / 911 in the same sentence as those who did the Oaklahoma bombing...while stating later in the book that some of the 'valid' political prisoners took the action that landed them in a cage in response to 'severe social repression and gov. misconduct' (I am not saying that those who orchestrated 93 / 01 should be consired this but i also don't think they should be put in the same category as the white supremacists of OKC bombing, because the violence of US imperialism created the conditions that makes those under it's boots & those with shared identity see 93 / 01 as a justified response to that violence)
- continuing to emphasize that, for example rapists and child molestors are ' 'inherently bad ppl' that basically deserve to be in jail (doesn't literally say that, but that is what my read is)
I made a lot of highlights and will try to share more when I get the chance to get through them, but for now here is one from Mumia Abu-Jamal to radical intellectuals:
"You may be targeted. You may be vilified. You may be threatened. You may even be “disappeared.”
Yet this world, and life itself, is broader than the ivory towers of academia. Make external
connections. Build bridges to the larger, nonacademic community.
Establish social, political
and communal networks. The word radical means “from the roots’’-so, build roots! Touch base with real folks, and work for the only real source of liberty-life!"
first critical thoughts on Imprissoned Intelectuals:
- putting those behind 1993 / 911 in the same sentence as those who did the Oaklahoma bombing...while stating later in the book that some of the 'valid' political prisoners took the action that landed them in a cage in response to 'severe social repression and gov. misconduct' (I am not saying that those who orchestrated 93 / 01 should be consired this but i also don't think they should be put in the same category as the white supremacists of OKC bombing, because the violence of US imperialism created the conditions that makes those under it's boots & those with shared identity see 93 / 01 as a justified response to that violence)
- continuing to emphasize that, for example rapists and child molestors are ' 'inherently bad ppl' that basically deserve to be in jail (doesn't literally say that, but that is what my read is)
I made a lot of highlights and will try to share more when I get the chance to get through them, but for now here is one from Mumia Abu-Jamal to radical intellectuals:
"You may be targeted. You may be vilified. You may be threatened. You may even be “disappeared.”
Yet this world, and life itself, is broader than the ivory towers of academia. Make external
connections. Build bridges to the larger, nonacademic community.
Establish social, political
and communal networks. The word radical means “from the roots’’-so, build roots! Touch base with real folks, and work for the only real source of liberty-life!"