A review by bisexualbookshelf
How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor

emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.0

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective is an engaging and incisive exploration of the legacy of Black feminism and its radical contributions to liberation movements. While not my first exposure to Black feminism, this was my first introduction to the Combahee River Collective (CRC), and I was immediately struck by the depth and clarity of their analysis. Their insistence on addressing the interlocking oppressions of race, class, and gender provides a powerful framework for understanding systemic oppression—and how it persists under capitalism.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its articulation of solidarity. As the CRC poignantly states, “Solidarity did not mean subsuming your struggles to help someone else; it was intended to strengthen the political commitments from other groups by getting them to recognize how the different struggles were related to each other and connected under capitalism.” This redefinition of solidarity as relational and mutually reinforcing, rather than hierarchical, offers a roadmap for coalition-building today. The interviews with Barbara and Beverly Smith amplify this ethos, as the sisters reflect on the power of community as both a source of resilience and a catalyst for organizing. Beverly’s words, “I didn’t give up political work because I didn’t want to be an activist. I gave it up because I didn’t have anybody to do it with,” emphasize the necessity of collective care and connection in sustaining activism.

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor’s editing masterfully weaves historical reflection with contemporary relevance, connecting Black feminism to anti-colonial struggles, such as the movement to free Palestine. The interviews’ raw honesty and nuanced critiques—especially Alicia Garza’s assertion that “Police are...the most visible part of the state”—challenge readers to go beyond surface-level activism. This book is not just an intellectual exercise but a call to action, reminding us that abolition must aim to dismantle the entire system, not just its “most visible” manifestations.

Ultimately, How We Get Free is a testament to the enduring relevance of the Combahee River Collective’s work. Their vision—that “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free”—remains a radical and necessary guidepost for movements today. This is a must-read for anyone committed to understanding and engaging in transformative social justice work.

📖 Recommended For: Readers drawn to accessible yet thought-provoking sociopolitical critiques, those interested in Black feminism's history and impact, and activists seeking insights into solidarity and intersectionality.

🔑 Key Themes: Interlocking Systems of Oppression, Solidarity Across Movements, Black Feminist Leadership, Anti-Capitalism and Anti-Colonialism, Community as Resistance.
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