Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care (Abolitionist Papers)
Kelly Hayes and Miriame Kaba
Haymarket Books
Nonfiction, Essays/History/Politics
Themes: Cross-Genre, Diversity, Girl Power, Institutions
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Description
It's no secret that we're living in turbulent times. The rolling back of rights, the gutting of environmental regulations just as climate change approaches a dangerous tipping point, the removal of any and all guardrails on greed, the rise of state violence, the stripping of viable venues and options for protest and dissent... not just in America, but around the world, it seems that cruelty, regression, greed, and authoritarianism are on the rise. But giving up has never been an option. In this book, two experienced leaders and organizers explore how to effectively resist in a time that seems openly hostile to resistance.
Review
Since November this year (2024), I've been struggling to find anything resembling hope for the future of the
country I live in and coming up with little to nothing, not helped by the fact that I'm not in a position to do
much, if anything, about any of the innumerable dangers looming in the new year and beyond (dangers that are
already here in some form or another). Don't give up, fight back, is the rallying cry on social media
and elsewhere. Where? How? I ask, only to be told once more that if I don't do something and just give
up They win. I was hoping this title would help answer those questions, or at least give me some ideas... or
hope. Did it manage any of that? A little.
From the outset, it's clear that this book isn't quite targeting me. It's targeting current and would-be leaders
and activists, offering advice not just on how to effectively recruit and organize people but on how to avoid
burnout, mission creep, losing focus, and other risks, as well as some advice on dealing with the inevitable
pushback one will encounter when challenging the status quo, legal and otherwise. A fair bit of word count is
devoted to the importance of community and mutual support, not just for political or activism purposes but basic
life needs. A vital community, one not reliant on social media (which is useful, to be sure, but, as has been
illustrated all too clearly with "X" and others, not something one can rely on for privacy or even safe and
neutral discussion), is the essential heart of any remotely successful activism group. The authors address the
need to learn social skills and patient listening (skills that have fallen out of common practice in today's age
of instant digital gratification and intentionally fractured attention spans), finding ways to meet people where
they are and seek common cause for mutual benefit. They also emphasize the need to avoid the creep of dread and
cynicism that can paralyze us and end resistance before it begins, essentially complying in advance. That's one
heck of an ask, especially in 2024, but necessary just for basic survival.
For people better positioned to start or join activism and resistance efforts, this book offers plenty of
information and moral support, plus appendices with practical links (such as how to deal with chemical weapons
that police commonly unleash on rallies, and how to resist unlawful law enforcement action). That person may not
be me for various reasons of life circumstances (plus me being me; there's a reason the number one advice I was
given growing up was that the best way I could help was to stay out of the way, as I'm both congenitally
invisible and basically useless), but it was still interesting to get an inside look at how more effective
people can rally and organize and, every once in a while, actually succeed. That's hopeful, at least.