An Abolitionist's Handbook

May 1, 2021

How to be an abolitionist in this day and age? Ask Cullors, cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement. Here she draws on personal experience, the history of abolition, and meditations on what reparations might look like to offer 12 steps toward bettering both ourselves and this world. Among the steps she pronounces are Courageous Conversations, Practice Accountability, and Fight the U.S. State Rather Than Make It Stronger. With a 250,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 16, 2021
Cullors (When They Call You a Terrorist), a cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement, delivers an accessible if diffuse guide to “abolitionist practice.” According to Cullors, abolition “centers on getting rid of prisons, jails, police, courts and surveillance,” but also includes the fight for improved water quality in cities and a more equal distribution of streaming revenue for musicians (“If there is any part of your life where you are trying to get free, it connects to abolitionist practice”). She draws on her personal life and activist experiences to offer advice on how to have “courageous conversations” about difficult subjects, and how to “imagin beyond the status quo” of “white supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” Elsewhere, she recounts the actions she took as a high school guidance counselor when a student alleged that a teacher was sexually abusing another student. In addition to notifying the authorities, Cullors informed the perpetrator of the accusation and offered to talk to him about it (she never heard back), and created discussion groups for faculty and students to learn about restorative justice. Though Cullors broadens the scope of “abolition” so far that the concept begins to lose some of its meaning, her guidance on how to achieve personal and social transformation is enlightening. Readers will be inspired to take action.

September 1, 2021
A co-founder of Black Lives Matter compiles a tool kit for activists hoping to abolish "oppressive systems, institutions, and practices" and to repair the harm they've caused. Inspired partly by her father's experiences in Alcoholics Anonymous, Cullors blends polemic and self-help in a 12-step program for getting rid of "prisons, jails, police, courts and surveillance" and otherwise "dismantling white supremacy." As she sees it, abolition means more than demolishing institutions or practices and replacing them with more humane alternatives. It also involves taking personal and interpersonal steps to foster "healing and liberation," such as having "courageous conversations" with friends, family, co-workers, and movement allies or colleagues about difficulties in relationships. Cullors begins each chapter by discussing one of her 12 steps, such as "Build Community" and "Forgive Actively Not Passively," and ends each with practical tips on topics such as "What To Read/Watch/See/Hear" and "Guiding Questions" for reflection (listen to Beyonc�'s Lemonade to hear about "actively forgiving"). In the best sections, Cullors brings a unique perspective to BLM-related issues, such as why she favors abolishing the police instead of more narrowly focused strategies such as requiring the greater use of bodycams (the officer who killed George Floyd was wearing one, but the full horror of his death was captured not by his device but by bystanders with phones). The text is repetitious, and some of the author's ideas will be too woolly for many readers ("Check out...CHANI, a comprehensive astrology app that can help deepen your courage practice") or overfamiliar to consumers of self-help (frequent plugs for therapy, mindfulness, or keeping a journal). Still, Cullors offers a wide range of strategies for activists who share her view that you can't always fix a broken system--sometimes you have to throw it out and start over. A veteran activist's call to dismantle America's judicial, law enforcement, and other systems.

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September 1, 2021

In this latest work, Cullors (co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement; author of the best-selling When They Call You a Terrorist) sets out 12 principles for activists in the movement to abolish policing and mass incarceration. Cullors is adamant that current American police establishments cannot be reformed and must be built anew. Here she proposes that accomplishing abolition will require activists to engage in courageous conversation, active forgiveness and accountability, community-building, and thinking creatively about reform. For each precept, she writes an analysis illustrated by examples from her experience and the experiences of other activists, tips for growth, and practical scenarios. Cullors uses her own experiences to illustrate her theories in a way that helps readers make connections. She aims to set out a space for developing healthy communication and reflection skills, which she argues are not taught or modeled effectively in the United States. Cullors invites readers to engage critically with the text, which is accessible to a wide audience; there are key questions at the end of each chapter to help direct readers' actions. VERDICT A useful and surprisingly personal handbook for activists. Recommended for all readers interested in social change activism, particularly prison reform and the defund-the-police movement.--Rebekah Kati, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.