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Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care
What fuels and sustains activism and organizing when it feels like our worlds are collapsing? Let This Radicalize You is a practical and imaginative resource for activists and organizers building power in an era of destabilization and catastrophe.
Longtime organizers and movement educators Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes examine some of the political lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the convergence of mass protest and mass formations of mutual aid, and consider what this confluence of power can teach us about a future that will require mass acts of care, rescue and defense, in the face of both state violence and environmental disaster.
The book is an assemblage of co-authored reflections, interviews and questions that are intended to aid and empower activists and organizers as they attempt to map their own journeys through the work of justice-making. It includes insights from a spectrum of experienced organizers, including Sharon Lungo, Carlos Saavedra, Ejeris Dixon, Barbara Ransby, and Ruth Wilson Gilmore about some of the difficult and joyous lessons they have learned in their work.
Longtime organizers and movement educators Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes examine some of the political lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the convergence of mass protest and mass formations of mutual aid, and consider what this confluence of power can teach us about a future that will require mass acts of care, rescue and defense, in the face of both state violence and environmental disaster.
The book is an assemblage of co-authored reflections, interviews and questions that are intended to aid and empower activists and organizers as they attempt to map their own journeys through the work of justice-making. It includes insights from a spectrum of experienced organizers, including Sharon Lungo, Carlos Saavedra, Ejeris Dixon, Barbara Ransby, and Ruth Wilson Gilmore about some of the difficult and joyous lessons they have learned in their work.
296 pages, Paperback
First published May 16, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
December 1, 2023
While this book was intended for people who are new to being activists or looking to move from mere activism to organizing I think it's a must read for people who joined movements at times of high intensity who feel kind of lost about the where to next when the protests die down or who have felt burnt out by social movements. Its bracing and cleareyed approach is also useful in embracing the space you want/can occupy as an activist/organizer.
May 25, 2023
I'm not unbiased: I'm honored to call Mariame and Kelly friends. I'm also an old nerd when it comes to reading about organizing, and yet I found this book invigorating and surprisingly emotional. I cried when it came to the conclusion. I expected this to be a book targeted at young organizers, but I also think it contained an awful lot of advice for more experienced people, and for journalists as well as organizers, as the skill sets of both have an awful lot of overlap.
May 12, 2023
This is a wonderful book for our moment. It’s not only a love letter to what historians of the left will come to understand as the new Chicago way of organizing, it’s a distillation of the 2020-and-after moment and its lessons. It’s a book about collective self-reliance rather than deference to saviors. This is the kind of book that will be a guidepost for decades.
There is definitely a focus on the small here: small actions, small groups. And although it does not take up larger social movement organizations and unions like the CTU, its focus on relationships and movement culture are a core part of what makes this book such an effective broadside against cynicism.
No book can be everything to everyone, and I don’t take this one as a comprehensive guide to all organizing or a definitive manual for building global power. Instead, I’m confident this book will be a solid and sober contribution to a movement becoming conscious of itself and its history. I’ll certainly be coming back to this many times in the coming years.
There is definitely a focus on the small here: small actions, small groups. And although it does not take up larger social movement organizations and unions like the CTU, its focus on relationships and movement culture are a core part of what makes this book such an effective broadside against cynicism.
No book can be everything to everyone, and I don’t take this one as a comprehensive guide to all organizing or a definitive manual for building global power. Instead, I’m confident this book will be a solid and sober contribution to a movement becoming conscious of itself and its history. I’ll certainly be coming back to this many times in the coming years.
June 4, 2023
This is, in my opinion, mandatory reading for all folks new and old to activism. If I was leading a poli-ed group again as I have in the past, I would start with this book. Why? Because here, Kaba and Hayes cover crucial ground that I haven't usually seen talked about movement circles. Things like:
-Navigating hope, resilience, and burnout
-Focusing on what we're building instead of a hypothetical perfect solution
-Accepting differences when it brings us towards a goal
And so much more. Lots of other books teach you about what is wrong and what needs to be done. This book shows you how things can (and sometimes can't) be done. The everyday existence of moving through movement spaces. I'm so glad to have a physical copy of this book. It's one I will keep coming back to for years to come. One of my favorite books ever. Thank you, Kelly and Mariame.
-Navigating hope, resilience, and burnout
-Focusing on what we're building instead of a hypothetical perfect solution
-Accepting differences when it brings us towards a goal
And so much more. Lots of other books teach you about what is wrong and what needs to be done. This book shows you how things can (and sometimes can't) be done. The everyday existence of moving through movement spaces. I'm so glad to have a physical copy of this book. It's one I will keep coming back to for years to come. One of my favorite books ever. Thank you, Kelly and Mariame.
November 27, 2023
Full disclosure: I went into Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba’s Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care almost not wanting to like it, since it’s been praised to the skies and I get concerned about people just reading whatever they want into things. On the other hand, this particular type of burnout–suspicious, reading everything through a filter of “how resistant is this to co-optation by the most self-absorbed people in the world” (even though bad actors can co-opt anything), generally dour about my fellow leftists–is exactly the sort of thing I need some way to heal from, so I figured it was worth a shot to see what they had to say.
Hayes and Kaba go to great lengths to ensure this book is not just a litany of “how not to be” advice but let’s face it, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in organizing and a lot of ways that good organizers should not be. Advice on taking care of ourselves and each other, constructive (and not constructive) ways to onboard newbies, how to think strategically (and why it’s so important), the limitations of both traditional and social media, navigating hot-button rhetoric around “violence” and other buzzwords, the importance of political education and emotional processing… it’s a wide-ranging category of topics but it all comes down to being solid advice on how to safely and sustainably do organizing. Hayes and Kaba gently and compassionately insist that “organizing” means organizing, and not just any old shit you do to tell yourself that you are Making The World A Better Place. Honestly, one of the main strengths of this book is that Hayes and Kaba clearly have a lot of experience gently and compassionately telling people stuff they might not always want to hear, like “sometimes one thing really is more effective than another thing” or “here is some information you may not have previously considered” or even “the behavior you engaged in harmed someone else and you are not the sole wronged party in this situation.”
The timing of this read was interesting for me personally because I read it as an immediate precursor to Vincent Bevins’ If We Burn, which covers mass protests from 2010 to 2020, and I think it’s useful to see how the advice in the two books compare. I think they dovetail fairly nicely, even though the Bevins book is focused mainly on one type of action and Let This Radicalize You is careful to survey a wide range of types of actions (lesson: you gotta have more than one tool in your toolbox).
It is very likely I won’t end up rereading this because I’m not nearly as good at rereading things as I ought to be, but I am nonetheless glad that I bought a copy of this instead of getting it from the library because I ought to reread it and I ought to be able to lend it out to other people. We’ll see how that goes.
Originally posted at Doing stuff with other people.
Hayes and Kaba go to great lengths to ensure this book is not just a litany of “how not to be” advice but let’s face it, there are a lot of potential pitfalls in organizing and a lot of ways that good organizers should not be. Advice on taking care of ourselves and each other, constructive (and not constructive) ways to onboard newbies, how to think strategically (and why it’s so important), the limitations of both traditional and social media, navigating hot-button rhetoric around “violence” and other buzzwords, the importance of political education and emotional processing… it’s a wide-ranging category of topics but it all comes down to being solid advice on how to safely and sustainably do organizing. Hayes and Kaba gently and compassionately insist that “organizing” means organizing, and not just any old shit you do to tell yourself that you are Making The World A Better Place. Honestly, one of the main strengths of this book is that Hayes and Kaba clearly have a lot of experience gently and compassionately telling people stuff they might not always want to hear, like “sometimes one thing really is more effective than another thing” or “here is some information you may not have previously considered” or even “the behavior you engaged in harmed someone else and you are not the sole wronged party in this situation.”
The timing of this read was interesting for me personally because I read it as an immediate precursor to Vincent Bevins’ If We Burn, which covers mass protests from 2010 to 2020, and I think it’s useful to see how the advice in the two books compare. I think they dovetail fairly nicely, even though the Bevins book is focused mainly on one type of action and Let This Radicalize You is careful to survey a wide range of types of actions (lesson: you gotta have more than one tool in your toolbox).
It is very likely I won’t end up rereading this because I’m not nearly as good at rereading things as I ought to be, but I am nonetheless glad that I bought a copy of this instead of getting it from the library because I ought to reread it and I ought to be able to lend it out to other people. We’ll see how that goes.
Originally posted at Doing stuff with other people.
September 4, 2023
very tiny summary:
Would recommend this book to anyone looking to make change, learn about strategic ways for making change and building power, and be in just relationships and community. this book is by two very seasoned, transformative, and radical organizers on how to be strategic to make impact and change. Lots of lessons, interview bits, and histories related to many many parts of organizing. key is to take action, and take action with others. we write the meaning of life as we live it, it is up to us to write a story worth living.
notes:
critique is good and fine, but focus on building things up, especially with other people. “transformative change happens when we are willing to build the things that we know must exist.” p12 we are transformed by working on issues. the most important thing to do to transform the world is to act. taking action is a practice of hope.
a big theme of the book is refusing to abandon others and being supportive of people’s transformation. For example, it is life saving work to support and work to free a criminalized person - letters etc are lifelines for those trapped behind bars. capitalism relies on the idea that there are people who must be or merit abandonment or elimination.
facts are often not enough to mobilize people into action. what works when facts fail? relationships, community, and storytelling are stronger drivers for action. relationships to create sustained capacity for organized political action. strategic storytelling centers support and inspiration, not just fear. we have to strive to receive people on the terms that many are doing the best they can and making sense of the world as best they can, even if they are believing or behaving in ways that we do not support. many people do not act on a problem despite familiarity with the problem. it’s easy to dismiss people who act against the collective good as “selfish” or “bad”, but would such characterizations help us alter the terrain? -chp 1 goes into this sort of stuff
role of organizers is not to dismiss but to invite. when correcting someone’s ignorance, do not shame etc., but invite/direct them forward. history lessons should be leveraged as calls to action in the present. seize flashes of outrage as opportunities to draw people in movements rather than reply with cynicism to their shock.
grief work, healing work, and conflict resolution extra important in this age of catastrophe. navigating crisis and even missteps are more difficult with unchecked trauma responses. as difficult and slow as it may be, it is helpful to try to work through traumas that impede organizing work.
attempting to rank atrocities is of little strategic value. much more effective to make connections between issues than compare the importance or severity of the issue. goal is to pull people into an active formation and build something, not just create a quick reaction or a witnessing.
criticism is often overflowing towards organizers, but good-faith critique is important for movement building. however criticism often comes from people with no connection to the work and may have no idea what they’re talking about. check-in with self and, if necessary, our co-strugglers to decide if this criticism merits consideration. organizers should be committed to self reflection that is self questioning and challenging.
Organizers should want co-strugglers, not fans. fans are waiting to tell the organizer they’re right and, potentially, reinforce worst and least strategic impulses.
A main goal of organizing is to try to get as many people as possible at the table having conversations about “example” system or issues and how to change it
projects and groups can be broken easily if cannot maintain relationships while navigating harm. gives importance to conflict resolution and accountability mechanisms within groups. people also need room to grow.
do not want to inspire a culture of martyrdom or self destruction. important to tend to maintenance of health and well-being. important to envision self as part of future looking to create. important to take seriously the daily, personal practices that can nurture our well-being.
Quotes:
“We all have a role to play in building those new worlds. Determine what the next right step is for you. There is always something that is worth doing. Find your lane and push ahead. Make connections with others. Refuse to acquiesce to despair. Imagine your way forward. There are many ways that things can be different in the world, and we don't know how things will turn out, so we might as well fight like hell for the world we want to inhabit.” p231
“we all have a role in imagining and building the world we want to live in”
“you are an appendage of the work, the work stems from / hangs from the heaven you create” - rant by diane di prima p2
“in order for the oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must perceive the reality of oppression not as a closed world from which there is no exit, but as a limiting situation which they can transform.” - paulo freire, pedagogy of the oppressed p16
organizers offer vision of possible better world and ways to bring this vision into fruition. “Effective organizing, therefore, does not begin with having the most compelling argument or the most dazzling direct action, but with developing the capacity to bring people into relationship with one another, such that they might begin to overcome alienation and fear.” important to find intersection between someone’s interests and the work at hand, not just place people into roles envisioned for them. “'What do you want? What do you need? How can I help? Heres what we're working on. How does that sound to you? What are we missing? What else is needed»" Not Do (you want to get involved?' or 'You should get involved." “"This idea that we know better than a community (about what they need, without asking and being in conversation, isn't relationship building. It's more like political imposition," she said. "And so l think when you start with a politic of asking people what they need. or if what you're working on resonates for them, or what is missing. then you build stronger relationships than when you just say Come to the rally or Come to the meeting or Come to the event. An organizer can also ask, «What would make this more interesting and appealing for you? What would make this more interesting for the people that you know? Are there other people that you know chat want to get involved?"" We build better relationships, Dixon said, "when we build projects where people honestly have a stake in the project, not because we told them they have to, but because we've asked them what they need and we are responsive to the needs of multiple people. Taken from p38, p48-49
“As you strategize in the face of cynicism, ask yourself these questions:
What is the outcome you want?
Do your words and actions lend themselves to the creation of that outcome?
If not, how can you change them?
What is the impact you would like to have?
Do you believe you are capable of making that impact?
if so, how will you go about making it?
What power do you possess, and how are you leveraging that power in relation to the issue at hand?
We ask these questions not to prescribe answers but to provoke them.
Our aim is to be effective and invite people into a process of making change. Many, many people will decline the invitation, but even fewer will accept an invitation that is never offered. If we are determined and committed to improving our practice of organizing, some people will accept the invitation, and we will build power.” p101-102
“violence is an elastic term often deployed to vilify people who threaten the status quo” p111
“The repression of Palestinian resistance offers a profound example of the elasticity of violence as a concept and shows how, while the powerful can wage war on particular communities with impunity and claim innocence, the oppressed can be deemed a violent threat simply for attempting to assert their rights or defend their humanity.” p127
“If you choose to disrupt these systems, passively, destructively or by way of extending mutual aid, the concept of violence may be stretched and manipulated by the powerful to encompass your work. That is why we must not allow the frameworks of the power. ful co define the bounds of morality in our politics and our action.
The elastic concepts of criminality and violence, as controlled by the powerful, will always be bent against us.” p128
“The idealization of individual leaders can also encourage us to embrace ideas that are harmful or excuse behavior that should be challenged. If we become too invested in someone's leadership, or even fetishize that leadership, we can abandon our own strategic analysis or fail to develop that analysis. Good organizers do not want "fans." They want committed and thoughtful co-strugglers. An organizer who wants your allegiance rather than your solidarity and co-investment in struggle is not someone whose leadership you should trust.” p131
active hope:
“Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we'd like things to move in or the values we'd like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direc-tion. Since Active Hope doesn't require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express. Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide.” p176
“This practice of hope allows us to remain creative and strategic. It does not require us to deny the severity of our situation or detract from our practice of grief. To practice active hope, we do not need to believe that everything will work out in the end. We need only decide who we are choosing to be and how we are choosing to function in relation to the outcome we desire and abide by what those decisions demand of us. This practice of hope does not guarantee any victories against long odds, but it does make those victories more possible. Hope, therefore, is not only a source of comfort to the afflicted but also a strategic imperative.” p176-177
“broader movements are struggles, not sanctuaries. they are full of contradiction and challenges we may feel unprepared for.” p183
“Organizing is not a process of political matchmaking. Most people's politics will not mirror our own, and even people who identify with us strongly on some points will often differ sharply on others. When organizers do not fully understand each other's beliefs or identities, people will often stumble and offend one another, even if they earnestly wish to build from a place of solidarity. Efforts to build diverse, intergenerational movements will always generate conflict and discomfort. But the desire to shrink groups down to spaces of easy agreement is not conducive to movement building.
The forces that oppress us may compete and make war with one another, but when it comes to maintaining the order of capitalism, and the hierarchy of white supremacy, they collaborate and work together based on their death-making and eliminationist shared interests. Oppressed people, on the other hand, often demand ideological alignment or even affinity when seeking to interrupt or upend structural violence. This tendency lends an advantage to the powerful that is not easily overcome.
Put simply, we need more people. What do we mean by this?
We are not talking about launching search parties to find an undiscovered army of people with already-perfected politics with whom it will easily and naturally align. Instead, organizing on the scale that our struggles demand means finding common ground with a broad spectrum of people,
many of whom we would never otherwise interact with, and building a shared practice of politics in the pursuit of more just outcomes. Its a process that can bring us into the company of people who share our beliefs quite explicitly, but to create movements,, rather than clubhouses we need to engage with people with whom we do not fully identify and may even dislike. We can build upon our expectations of such people and negotiate protocols around matters of respect, but the truth is, we will sometimes be uncomfortable or even offended. We will, at times, have to constructively critique people's behavior or simply allow them room to grow.
There will be other times, of course, when we have to draw hard lines, but if we cannot organize beyond the bounds of our comfort zones, we will never build movements large enough to combat the forces that would destroy us.” p181 - 182
embrace seasonality, whether literally or metaphorically. “The metaphorical spring is a time of growth: the capacity to educate and organize new people is ramped up, relationships are expanded, and new coalitions are built. Summer, in this metaphor, is a time of consistent action, when energy is high and victories are potentially claimed. Fall is a time of harvest, when movements have achieved victories or endured losses. In fall, projects and coalitions may break down or sunset as the pace of work slows, allowing organizers time to reflect, share stories, and uplift the labor of the Previous season. The metaphorical winter is the most difficult season for many organizers because we have been conditioned to view less energetic periods of organizing as times of failure.” p211
Would recommend this book to anyone looking to make change, learn about strategic ways for making change and building power, and be in just relationships and community. this book is by two very seasoned, transformative, and radical organizers on how to be strategic to make impact and change. Lots of lessons, interview bits, and histories related to many many parts of organizing. key is to take action, and take action with others. we write the meaning of life as we live it, it is up to us to write a story worth living.
notes:
critique is good and fine, but focus on building things up, especially with other people. “transformative change happens when we are willing to build the things that we know must exist.” p12 we are transformed by working on issues. the most important thing to do to transform the world is to act. taking action is a practice of hope.
a big theme of the book is refusing to abandon others and being supportive of people’s transformation. For example, it is life saving work to support and work to free a criminalized person - letters etc are lifelines for those trapped behind bars. capitalism relies on the idea that there are people who must be or merit abandonment or elimination.
facts are often not enough to mobilize people into action. what works when facts fail? relationships, community, and storytelling are stronger drivers for action. relationships to create sustained capacity for organized political action. strategic storytelling centers support and inspiration, not just fear. we have to strive to receive people on the terms that many are doing the best they can and making sense of the world as best they can, even if they are believing or behaving in ways that we do not support. many people do not act on a problem despite familiarity with the problem. it’s easy to dismiss people who act against the collective good as “selfish” or “bad”, but would such characterizations help us alter the terrain? -chp 1 goes into this sort of stuff
role of organizers is not to dismiss but to invite. when correcting someone’s ignorance, do not shame etc., but invite/direct them forward. history lessons should be leveraged as calls to action in the present. seize flashes of outrage as opportunities to draw people in movements rather than reply with cynicism to their shock.
grief work, healing work, and conflict resolution extra important in this age of catastrophe. navigating crisis and even missteps are more difficult with unchecked trauma responses. as difficult and slow as it may be, it is helpful to try to work through traumas that impede organizing work.
attempting to rank atrocities is of little strategic value. much more effective to make connections between issues than compare the importance or severity of the issue. goal is to pull people into an active formation and build something, not just create a quick reaction or a witnessing.
criticism is often overflowing towards organizers, but good-faith critique is important for movement building. however criticism often comes from people with no connection to the work and may have no idea what they’re talking about. check-in with self and, if necessary, our co-strugglers to decide if this criticism merits consideration. organizers should be committed to self reflection that is self questioning and challenging.
Organizers should want co-strugglers, not fans. fans are waiting to tell the organizer they’re right and, potentially, reinforce worst and least strategic impulses.
A main goal of organizing is to try to get as many people as possible at the table having conversations about “example” system or issues and how to change it
projects and groups can be broken easily if cannot maintain relationships while navigating harm. gives importance to conflict resolution and accountability mechanisms within groups. people also need room to grow.
do not want to inspire a culture of martyrdom or self destruction. important to tend to maintenance of health and well-being. important to envision self as part of future looking to create. important to take seriously the daily, personal practices that can nurture our well-being.
Quotes:
“We all have a role to play in building those new worlds. Determine what the next right step is for you. There is always something that is worth doing. Find your lane and push ahead. Make connections with others. Refuse to acquiesce to despair. Imagine your way forward. There are many ways that things can be different in the world, and we don't know how things will turn out, so we might as well fight like hell for the world we want to inhabit.” p231
“we all have a role in imagining and building the world we want to live in”
“you are an appendage of the work, the work stems from / hangs from the heaven you create” - rant by diane di prima p2
“in order for the oppressed to be able to wage the struggle for their liberation, they must perceive the reality of oppression not as a closed world from which there is no exit, but as a limiting situation which they can transform.” - paulo freire, pedagogy of the oppressed p16
organizers offer vision of possible better world and ways to bring this vision into fruition. “Effective organizing, therefore, does not begin with having the most compelling argument or the most dazzling direct action, but with developing the capacity to bring people into relationship with one another, such that they might begin to overcome alienation and fear.” important to find intersection between someone’s interests and the work at hand, not just place people into roles envisioned for them. “'What do you want? What do you need? How can I help? Heres what we're working on. How does that sound to you? What are we missing? What else is needed»" Not Do (you want to get involved?' or 'You should get involved." “"This idea that we know better than a community (about what they need, without asking and being in conversation, isn't relationship building. It's more like political imposition," she said. "And so l think when you start with a politic of asking people what they need. or if what you're working on resonates for them, or what is missing. then you build stronger relationships than when you just say Come to the rally or Come to the meeting or Come to the event. An organizer can also ask, «What would make this more interesting and appealing for you? What would make this more interesting for the people that you know? Are there other people that you know chat want to get involved?"" We build better relationships, Dixon said, "when we build projects where people honestly have a stake in the project, not because we told them they have to, but because we've asked them what they need and we are responsive to the needs of multiple people. Taken from p38, p48-49
“As you strategize in the face of cynicism, ask yourself these questions:
What is the outcome you want?
Do your words and actions lend themselves to the creation of that outcome?
If not, how can you change them?
What is the impact you would like to have?
Do you believe you are capable of making that impact?
if so, how will you go about making it?
What power do you possess, and how are you leveraging that power in relation to the issue at hand?
We ask these questions not to prescribe answers but to provoke them.
Our aim is to be effective and invite people into a process of making change. Many, many people will decline the invitation, but even fewer will accept an invitation that is never offered. If we are determined and committed to improving our practice of organizing, some people will accept the invitation, and we will build power.” p101-102
“violence is an elastic term often deployed to vilify people who threaten the status quo” p111
“The repression of Palestinian resistance offers a profound example of the elasticity of violence as a concept and shows how, while the powerful can wage war on particular communities with impunity and claim innocence, the oppressed can be deemed a violent threat simply for attempting to assert their rights or defend their humanity.” p127
“If you choose to disrupt these systems, passively, destructively or by way of extending mutual aid, the concept of violence may be stretched and manipulated by the powerful to encompass your work. That is why we must not allow the frameworks of the power. ful co define the bounds of morality in our politics and our action.
The elastic concepts of criminality and violence, as controlled by the powerful, will always be bent against us.” p128
“The idealization of individual leaders can also encourage us to embrace ideas that are harmful or excuse behavior that should be challenged. If we become too invested in someone's leadership, or even fetishize that leadership, we can abandon our own strategic analysis or fail to develop that analysis. Good organizers do not want "fans." They want committed and thoughtful co-strugglers. An organizer who wants your allegiance rather than your solidarity and co-investment in struggle is not someone whose leadership you should trust.” p131
active hope:
“Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we'd like things to move in or the values we'd like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direc-tion. Since Active Hope doesn't require our optimism, we can apply it even in areas where we feel hopeless. The guiding impetus is intention; we choose what we aim to bring about, act for, or express. Rather than weighing our chances and proceeding only when we feel hopeful, we focus on our intention and let it be our guide.” p176
“This practice of hope allows us to remain creative and strategic. It does not require us to deny the severity of our situation or detract from our practice of grief. To practice active hope, we do not need to believe that everything will work out in the end. We need only decide who we are choosing to be and how we are choosing to function in relation to the outcome we desire and abide by what those decisions demand of us. This practice of hope does not guarantee any victories against long odds, but it does make those victories more possible. Hope, therefore, is not only a source of comfort to the afflicted but also a strategic imperative.” p176-177
“broader movements are struggles, not sanctuaries. they are full of contradiction and challenges we may feel unprepared for.” p183
“Organizing is not a process of political matchmaking. Most people's politics will not mirror our own, and even people who identify with us strongly on some points will often differ sharply on others. When organizers do not fully understand each other's beliefs or identities, people will often stumble and offend one another, even if they earnestly wish to build from a place of solidarity. Efforts to build diverse, intergenerational movements will always generate conflict and discomfort. But the desire to shrink groups down to spaces of easy agreement is not conducive to movement building.
The forces that oppress us may compete and make war with one another, but when it comes to maintaining the order of capitalism, and the hierarchy of white supremacy, they collaborate and work together based on their death-making and eliminationist shared interests. Oppressed people, on the other hand, often demand ideological alignment or even affinity when seeking to interrupt or upend structural violence. This tendency lends an advantage to the powerful that is not easily overcome.
Put simply, we need more people. What do we mean by this?
We are not talking about launching search parties to find an undiscovered army of people with already-perfected politics with whom it will easily and naturally align. Instead, organizing on the scale that our struggles demand means finding common ground with a broad spectrum of people,
many of whom we would never otherwise interact with, and building a shared practice of politics in the pursuit of more just outcomes. Its a process that can bring us into the company of people who share our beliefs quite explicitly, but to create movements,, rather than clubhouses we need to engage with people with whom we do not fully identify and may even dislike. We can build upon our expectations of such people and negotiate protocols around matters of respect, but the truth is, we will sometimes be uncomfortable or even offended. We will, at times, have to constructively critique people's behavior or simply allow them room to grow.
There will be other times, of course, when we have to draw hard lines, but if we cannot organize beyond the bounds of our comfort zones, we will never build movements large enough to combat the forces that would destroy us.” p181 - 182
embrace seasonality, whether literally or metaphorically. “The metaphorical spring is a time of growth: the capacity to educate and organize new people is ramped up, relationships are expanded, and new coalitions are built. Summer, in this metaphor, is a time of consistent action, when energy is high and victories are potentially claimed. Fall is a time of harvest, when movements have achieved victories or endured losses. In fall, projects and coalitions may break down or sunset as the pace of work slows, allowing organizers time to reflect, share stories, and uplift the labor of the Previous season. The metaphorical winter is the most difficult season for many organizers because we have been conditioned to view less energetic periods of organizing as times of failure.” p211
January 31, 2024
what a fantastic book and most definitely a new favorite! highly recommend to all. so grateful for this book and the experiences and perspectives shared. this book has given me many ideas to carry forward in my community organizing. incredibly reinvigorating and grounding, especially as we go into a new year, as well as posing excellent questions to reflect on in my work. thank you. i will no doubt be returning to this one countless times!
June 25, 2023
So much wisdom & open-hearted encouragements regarding organizing in this catastrophic political context. Many, many specific campaign examples, primarily out of Chicago, which is affirming to have a written history of, and illustrative of the multiplicity of the movement. Highly recommend for any folks trying to organize their way out of despair.
January 20, 2024
Powerful and hopeful! Let this Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba is a call to action for all peoples across the globe. As someone who has only participated minimally in activism, this book helped guide me through what activism is, how organizing differs from activism, and the importance of collective action against an unjust society.
Some topics covered:
• abolition and how toppling the prison industrial complex can lead to a more just and safe society
• Kinship and Indigeneity
• Recognizing oppressive forces in the context of the occupation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by the State of Israel (settler colonialism)
• art and poetry as a form of resistance and how essential they are for liberation
• the fight against Cop City in Atlanta
• how all forms of struggle and resistance are interconnected
• our normalization of death and killing, and how that is jeopardizing our humanity
• a reflection on the struggles faced during the COVID-19 pandemic
• disability justice
• how to avoid/ recognize the co-opting of organizations and grassroots movements
• tactics to combat police brutality and riot control agents (RCAs)
• self-care practices among organizers and activists
• how to work with others who don’t share all the same values and views - patience being key!
• & the importance of emergent strategy and avoiding the pitfalls associated with perpetuating a system that was never designed to bring about justice for all
“We are living in and through calamitous times. We are bombarded twenty-four seven, it seems, by terrible political, public health, economic, and ecological news. We aren’t offered space to process collectively or to grieve all that has been lost. We’re living through the perpetual front lash of white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. So we can all be forgiven for not showing up as our best selves. We all need more grace. Many of us are just trying to keep our heads above water.” - Mariame Kaba
Let this book guide you through our sick and unjust world.
Let this anger you
Let this sadden you
Let this transform hope into action so you can create the world you envision for yourself and others
Some topics covered:
• abolition and how toppling the prison industrial complex can lead to a more just and safe society
• Kinship and Indigeneity
• Recognizing oppressive forces in the context of the occupation of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank by the State of Israel (settler colonialism)
• art and poetry as a form of resistance and how essential they are for liberation
• the fight against Cop City in Atlanta
• how all forms of struggle and resistance are interconnected
• our normalization of death and killing, and how that is jeopardizing our humanity
• a reflection on the struggles faced during the COVID-19 pandemic
• disability justice
• how to avoid/ recognize the co-opting of organizations and grassroots movements
• tactics to combat police brutality and riot control agents (RCAs)
• self-care practices among organizers and activists
• how to work with others who don’t share all the same values and views - patience being key!
• & the importance of emergent strategy and avoiding the pitfalls associated with perpetuating a system that was never designed to bring about justice for all
“We are living in and through calamitous times. We are bombarded twenty-four seven, it seems, by terrible political, public health, economic, and ecological news. We aren’t offered space to process collectively or to grieve all that has been lost. We’re living through the perpetual front lash of white supremacy and heteropatriarchy. So we can all be forgiven for not showing up as our best selves. We all need more grace. Many of us are just trying to keep our heads above water.” - Mariame Kaba
Let this book guide you through our sick and unjust world.
Let this anger you
Let this sadden you
Let this transform hope into action so you can create the world you envision for yourself and others
January 14, 2024
This book was very informative and a quick easy listen. I really appreciated the way it explained the different topics and used examples from todays and recent events. It really lent to the overall understanding and relevance of the message.
I really learned a lot about activism. Especially in relation to dealing with people around you. I found the tips about dealing with people who are unwilling to be involved or who outright disagree. I feel this will help me even just in everyday life.
I really learned a lot about activism. Especially in relation to dealing with people around you. I found the tips about dealing with people who are unwilling to be involved or who outright disagree. I feel this will help me even just in everyday life.
January 10, 2024
Did I find this book a *tad* repetitive at times? Yes. Will I recommend it to every current, past, and emerging organizer in my life? Also yes
July 27, 2023
This one's a must read! It's also covid safe, meaning, there's no covid denialism in here -- which I totally appreciated.
If you're newer to organizing, or working with people who are newer to organizing, put this on your list!
If you're newer to organizing, or working with people who are newer to organizing, put this on your list!
December 1, 2023
A must must must inspiring read for activists, organizers, or anyone who thinks our world can be better and wants to do something about it! Will maybe write a longer review later but really brings me hope in change and belief that small actions are important and do make a difference! Hope and collective care are the most important things, and you don’t need to know a lot or agree with someone to work with them
January 29, 2024
This was incredibly moving, hopeful, and informative. This is a book everyone should read.
October 24, 2023
sipped on this slowly for months - loved these reflections & learned a lot. I agree with other reviewers: it should be required reading
February 9, 2024
a+ the whole way through
don’t cry bc it’s over smile bc it happened (reading this book)
don’t cry bc it’s over smile bc it happened (reading this book)
May 30, 2024
As a person who considers himself to be a community organizer over a very long period of time, I wanted to give this book 5 stars. But I struggled with it enough that I thought I could only it four stars. It is a book that suggest that it is written For people who are new to community organizing, maybe even just beginning. But I felt this book was more than a worthwhile experience for even the most seasoned community organizer.
One of the main things that I gained from this book was the commitment to the authors of mutual assistance efforts as a most significant way of community organizing. Working along side of people in the community to meet a significant need that has been identified by the community. A community organizer in my opinion is best if they are a part of that community rather than an outsider coming in. But the critical fact is that they are working with other people in the community to Remedy a problem that the community is facing. Mutual aid may be as obvious as helping people to provide basic human needs of food and shelter and income/employment. The reason for the lack may be as obvious as weather event or an economic downturn. Or it may be as a result of one of the many isms That we face in the world such as racism or sexism or homophobism.
The language of the authors is impressive and clearly radical as they do not shy from blaming capitalism and politics, and the well off as often being at the root of the problem. They do not apologize for people who damage or destroy property. They are ardent abolitionists whether it is prison or police that they are confronting. The language is strong and they understand the difference between liberalism, wanting to improve the system and radicalism, wanting to revolt and overthrow the system.
I experienced this book in the audible format. That is often an easy way to get through a difficult book. Because the words just keep on coming, even if you are not catching them or if you have even drifted away at times. You can get to the end of the book, having missed quite a lot without necessarily intending to. I often fall into that trap with difficult books.
I ended this book with a little more appreciation for a way of being a community organizer that was not necessarily on the top of my list, even though I would like to classify myself among that crowd of activists. They worked too reclassify people who might be a part of a mob in more positive ways than many of us might consider accurate. They talked about community, organizing being something that can be done among people who are imprisoned, which is something that I and probably most of us never think much about. I have to say that I felt an openness to most of the ideas and thoughts that were presented even when they were, relatively novel or new to me. At the age of 77 I am not quite sure how recently I have ever done any community organizing. Part of organizing is getting to know people, especially people with whom you might not agree, but who are a part of the community, experiencing the problems that you have identified and that all of the others may or may not also see as problems. The authors mentioned the phrase that you often hear in a community organizing situation: “meeting the people where they are at.“ The authors note that, figuring out where the people are at requires a lot of listening when a lot of us are better at talking!
I have fallen into the habit of trying to get some feedback from Copilot AI about the books. I have been listening to recently. So let’s see what I can find for this one.
Mutual aid and collective action are concepts deeply rooted in community and social solidarity. Here’s a brief overview:
Mutual Aid:
Definition: Mutual aid is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit1.
Philosophy: It’s based on the principle of “solidarity, not charity,” emphasizing support through cooperation rather than top-down aid.
History: The concept was popularized by Peter Kropotkin, who saw it as a natural and ethical response to societal needs, countering the Darwinian emphasis on competition1.
Practice: It involves community members directly participating in addressing survival needs and building an understanding of the root causes of inequity1.
Collective Action:
Definition: Collective action refers to actions taken together by a group of people to achieve a common objective.
Purpose: It’s often used as a mobilization tactic for building solidarity around movements for political and social transformation.
Implementation: Projects are organized through direct participation, where everyone has a role in contributing to the group’s goals.
In essence, mutual aid and collective action work hand-in-hand to foster community engagement, support, and resilience. They encourage communities to work together to meet their needs and address systemic issues, creating a more interconnected and supportive society. Given your interest in history and societal structures, you might find the dynamics of these concepts particularly relevant to the themes of war, history, and mystery that you enjoy exploring in literature and other media.
Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba are the authors of “Let This Radicalize You: Organizing the Revolution of Reciprocal Care.” Here’s a brief introduction to both authors:
Kelly Hayes:
Background: Kelly Hayes is a Menominee author, organizer, movement educator, and photographer.
Work: She is the host of Truthout’s podcast “Movement Memos” and has co-founded the Lifted Voices collective and the Chicago Light Brigade.
Contributions: Hayes is known for her work in social justice movements and has been involved in various organizing and educational initiatives.
Mariame Kaba:
Background: Mariame Kaba is an organizer, educator, and prison industrial complex (PIC) abolitionist with a focus on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, and supporting youth leadership development.
Experience: She has co-founded multiple organizations and projects, including Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School, and Survived and Punished.
Publications: Kaba is the author of “We Do This 'Til We Free Us,” which was a New York Times Bestseller, and has written and co-authored various reports, articles, essays, and books.
Both authors bring a wealth of experience in activism and community organizing to their writing, which likely informs the content and perspective of “Let This Radicalize You.” Their combined expertise offers practical insights into the power of mutual aid and collective action, aiming to empower activists and organizers in their pursuit of justice and systemic change. The book is a reflection of their dedication to these causes and serves as a resource for those looking to make a difference in their communities.
One of the main things that I gained from this book was the commitment to the authors of mutual assistance efforts as a most significant way of community organizing. Working along side of people in the community to meet a significant need that has been identified by the community. A community organizer in my opinion is best if they are a part of that community rather than an outsider coming in. But the critical fact is that they are working with other people in the community to Remedy a problem that the community is facing. Mutual aid may be as obvious as helping people to provide basic human needs of food and shelter and income/employment. The reason for the lack may be as obvious as weather event or an economic downturn. Or it may be as a result of one of the many isms That we face in the world such as racism or sexism or homophobism.
The language of the authors is impressive and clearly radical as they do not shy from blaming capitalism and politics, and the well off as often being at the root of the problem. They do not apologize for people who damage or destroy property. They are ardent abolitionists whether it is prison or police that they are confronting. The language is strong and they understand the difference between liberalism, wanting to improve the system and radicalism, wanting to revolt and overthrow the system.
I experienced this book in the audible format. That is often an easy way to get through a difficult book. Because the words just keep on coming, even if you are not catching them or if you have even drifted away at times. You can get to the end of the book, having missed quite a lot without necessarily intending to. I often fall into that trap with difficult books.
I ended this book with a little more appreciation for a way of being a community organizer that was not necessarily on the top of my list, even though I would like to classify myself among that crowd of activists. They worked too reclassify people who might be a part of a mob in more positive ways than many of us might consider accurate. They talked about community, organizing being something that can be done among people who are imprisoned, which is something that I and probably most of us never think much about. I have to say that I felt an openness to most of the ideas and thoughts that were presented even when they were, relatively novel or new to me. At the age of 77 I am not quite sure how recently I have ever done any community organizing. Part of organizing is getting to know people, especially people with whom you might not agree, but who are a part of the community, experiencing the problems that you have identified and that all of the others may or may not also see as problems. The authors mentioned the phrase that you often hear in a community organizing situation: “meeting the people where they are at.“ The authors note that, figuring out where the people are at requires a lot of listening when a lot of us are better at talking!
I have fallen into the habit of trying to get some feedback from Copilot AI about the books. I have been listening to recently. So let’s see what I can find for this one.
Mutual aid and collective action are concepts deeply rooted in community and social solidarity. Here’s a brief overview:
Mutual Aid:
Definition: Mutual aid is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services for mutual benefit1.
Philosophy: It’s based on the principle of “solidarity, not charity,” emphasizing support through cooperation rather than top-down aid.
History: The concept was popularized by Peter Kropotkin, who saw it as a natural and ethical response to societal needs, countering the Darwinian emphasis on competition1.
Practice: It involves community members directly participating in addressing survival needs and building an understanding of the root causes of inequity1.
Collective Action:
Definition: Collective action refers to actions taken together by a group of people to achieve a common objective.
Purpose: It’s often used as a mobilization tactic for building solidarity around movements for political and social transformation.
Implementation: Projects are organized through direct participation, where everyone has a role in contributing to the group’s goals.
In essence, mutual aid and collective action work hand-in-hand to foster community engagement, support, and resilience. They encourage communities to work together to meet their needs and address systemic issues, creating a more interconnected and supportive society. Given your interest in history and societal structures, you might find the dynamics of these concepts particularly relevant to the themes of war, history, and mystery that you enjoy exploring in literature and other media.
Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba are the authors of “Let This Radicalize You: Organizing the Revolution of Reciprocal Care.” Here’s a brief introduction to both authors:
Kelly Hayes:
Background: Kelly Hayes is a Menominee author, organizer, movement educator, and photographer.
Work: She is the host of Truthout’s podcast “Movement Memos” and has co-founded the Lifted Voices collective and the Chicago Light Brigade.
Contributions: Hayes is known for her work in social justice movements and has been involved in various organizing and educational initiatives.
Mariame Kaba:
Background: Mariame Kaba is an organizer, educator, and prison industrial complex (PIC) abolitionist with a focus on ending violence, dismantling the prison industrial complex, and supporting youth leadership development.
Experience: She has co-founded multiple organizations and projects, including Project NIA, the Chicago Freedom School, and Survived and Punished.
Publications: Kaba is the author of “We Do This 'Til We Free Us,” which was a New York Times Bestseller, and has written and co-authored various reports, articles, essays, and books.
Both authors bring a wealth of experience in activism and community organizing to their writing, which likely informs the content and perspective of “Let This Radicalize You.” Their combined expertise offers practical insights into the power of mutual aid and collective action, aiming to empower activists and organizers in their pursuit of justice and systemic change. The book is a reflection of their dedication to these causes and serves as a resource for those looking to make a difference in their communities.
December 27, 2023
my new comfort book, i cried 3x
February 5, 2024
So this is basically for beginning activists, and I thought that Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba did a great job of grounding the current environment of activism. As someone who used to be more active in my community, it feel energizing, and has inspired me to start getting involved again. It was a nice balance between case studies//stories and bigger picture thinking. My only critique is that the book feels contradictory in one way: there is this call against the ideological purity that many leftists want to indulge in. But the book itself is definitely written for a certain type of leftist activist. It is a small critique; you have to know your audience and the type of individuals who would even want to pick this book up. But there is still a lot of insider language and framing that you may not be familiar with if you are curious about leftist activism, but are completely new to even hanging out in those circles.
May 16, 2023
There aren’t words adequate to convey how timely & essential this book is for all of us.
Every page invokes new hopes, ideas & questions. Overflowing with wisdom, insights & invocations to collective liberations, this is the kind of book that inspires sharing & actions too. It’s not one to study alone. It is a read that I imagine added to syllabi, book clubs, celebrations & conversations everywhere.
Every page invokes new hopes, ideas & questions. Overflowing with wisdom, insights & invocations to collective liberations, this is the kind of book that inspires sharing & actions too. It’s not one to study alone. It is a read that I imagine added to syllabi, book clubs, celebrations & conversations everywhere.
March 11, 2024
hayes and kaba write a succinct set of concepts to guide organizers in the distinct convergence of crises we are in. they advise us to root in relationship, commit to hope, remain curious, defend one another and not abandon the people in crisis, be discerning about who gets to draw the lines of what is violence, build skills in working across difference, and be choosy about whose feedback you incorporate. from honing our listening skills to wising up on digital security, lots of this text are practical and forward looking. while it was geared towards "young activists," i found the text quite useful and productively difficult, especially in its case studies within the chicago left. if anything, i found the wide array of case studies quite fast paced and wanted more time to sit within the stories from movement folk.
many salient lessons for daily life. one that resonates enduringly is to be wary of wasting energy on "political hobbyists." citing eitan hersh (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...), the authors argue that many college-educated individuals may self-identify as passionate about politics, but do very little to actually run campaigns, organize, volunteer, move people to action. while we are accountable to one another, we are not accountable to those who would point fingers from the sidelines without skin in the game from their own involvement or lived experiences. "making mistakes is a consequence of trying. the more you take action, the more errors and missteps you will make along the way. a person who has attempted nothing can easily point to the fact that they have never failed, but what have they built? what have they healed?" (98)
many salient lessons for daily life. one that resonates enduringly is to be wary of wasting energy on "political hobbyists." citing eitan hersh (https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...), the authors argue that many college-educated individuals may self-identify as passionate about politics, but do very little to actually run campaigns, organize, volunteer, move people to action. while we are accountable to one another, we are not accountable to those who would point fingers from the sidelines without skin in the game from their own involvement or lived experiences. "making mistakes is a consequence of trying. the more you take action, the more errors and missteps you will make along the way. a person who has attempted nothing can easily point to the fact that they have never failed, but what have they built? what have they healed?" (98)
April 17, 2024
Title comes from the full quote, “Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.”
This book moved me and challenged me in many ways I did not expect. I feel fundamentally changed by this book, and I want to make sure this change extends beyond a news cycle, unlike my relationship with so many movements I “support”.
(Sorry these are mostly notes for myself not to forget about this book. TLDR: it would mean the world to me if you read this and got all your friends to read it etc)
I love this book because it makes its points through real stories from organizers in a variety of fields. I loved learning about the folks who set up neighborhood meetings to make space to hear out Covid anti-vaxers and actually address their concerns instead of villainizing them. I loved learning about how in the aftermath of natural disasters, it was never the police or government relief organizations who prioritized saving lives, and it was instead community members who stepped up for the strangers around them. I love that this book warns us against working with people whose beliefs are exactly like ours, warning us against having a zero-tolerance policy. I loved learning that there are a million ways to show up for someone. I love that this book reminds us to rest and HOW to rest and reflect, that not every season needs to be productive and that burnout is not a result of “not being strong enough”.
I don’t want to sound like an out-of-touch self-proclaimed activist with no real on-the-ground experience (though that is completely who I am in this moment…), but this is a required reading. THIS IS A REQUIRED READING!!!
This book moved me and challenged me in many ways I did not expect. I feel fundamentally changed by this book, and I want to make sure this change extends beyond a news cycle, unlike my relationship with so many movements I “support”.
(Sorry these are mostly notes for myself not to forget about this book. TLDR: it would mean the world to me if you read this and got all your friends to read it etc)
I love this book because it makes its points through real stories from organizers in a variety of fields. I loved learning about the folks who set up neighborhood meetings to make space to hear out Covid anti-vaxers and actually address their concerns instead of villainizing them. I loved learning about how in the aftermath of natural disasters, it was never the police or government relief organizations who prioritized saving lives, and it was instead community members who stepped up for the strangers around them. I love that this book warns us against working with people whose beliefs are exactly like ours, warning us against having a zero-tolerance policy. I loved learning that there are a million ways to show up for someone. I love that this book reminds us to rest and HOW to rest and reflect, that not every season needs to be productive and that burnout is not a result of “not being strong enough”.
I don’t want to sound like an out-of-touch self-proclaimed activist with no real on-the-ground experience (though that is completely who I am in this moment…), but this is a required reading. THIS IS A REQUIRED READING!!!
Read
December 7, 2023The authors describe this book as being for new organizers, but I found a lot here that also feels sustaining here for current and longterm organizers. This work contains chapters that each focus on a particular topic through the experience of a specific local organizing group and/or action. I found
Moments from this text that I loved, big and small:
the story about the young organizer who shifts from hanging out with those who only criticizing other groups' actions/organizing to building something herself;
being reminded that in organizing, you should always be asking yourself and others: who are you responsible to?
the entire chapter on avoiding burnout and exhaustion over the longterm of movement work;
the moment when Kelly Hayes agrees to help organize an action that she believed at the time would never succeed, until it did.
how many examples the book contains of people doing real organizing work and mutual aid out in the world.
The Chicago Reader's review (Reema Saleh) describes the book as "a collection of stories and advice, not a manual on the nuts and bolts of movement work. It is not a book to take to a protest but to bring to meetings and moments of reflection." I thought this book offered the best kinds of reflections on what movement work can be.
Moments from this text that I loved, big and small:
the story about the young organizer who shifts from hanging out with those who only criticizing other groups' actions/organizing to building something herself;
being reminded that in organizing, you should always be asking yourself and others: who are you responsible to?
the entire chapter on avoiding burnout and exhaustion over the longterm of movement work;
the moment when Kelly Hayes agrees to help organize an action that she believed at the time would never succeed, until it did.
how many examples the book contains of people doing real organizing work and mutual aid out in the world.
The Chicago Reader's review (Reema Saleh) describes the book as "a collection of stories and advice, not a manual on the nuts and bolts of movement work. It is not a book to take to a protest but to bring to meetings and moments of reflection." I thought this book offered the best kinds of reflections on what movement work can be.
March 9, 2024
this book made me miss Chicago hard. I wish that I had gotten involved in what I care about now when I lived there…it was rad seeing names and orgs like Monica Cosby, Reparations Now, and PNAP pop up— I got to very briefly know them in undergrad.
there’s no shortage of visionary quotes & inspiration in this book — something that’s staying with me is the extent to which organizers always credit each other and reference each other’s words and wisdom. loved how much Mariame and Kelly mentioned Rehearsals for Living <3
there’s a lot of power and hope and reframing in this that I want to stay with. I did find the book a little bit repetitive over its length (hence the four stars), but still empowering, radicalizing, and makes me love love Chicago and its energy even more ✨. time to organize
there’s no shortage of visionary quotes & inspiration in this book — something that’s staying with me is the extent to which organizers always credit each other and reference each other’s words and wisdom. loved how much Mariame and Kelly mentioned Rehearsals for Living <3
there’s a lot of power and hope and reframing in this that I want to stay with. I did find the book a little bit repetitive over its length (hence the four stars), but still empowering, radicalizing, and makes me love love Chicago and its energy even more ✨. time to organize
October 12, 2023
The best non fiction book I've read this year. It should be required reading in feminism 101 classes. As a gender identity and disability advocate I frequently wonder about the best ways to mobilize people to the cause. The section about not focusing on fear but on joy really changed my view on advocacy. I particularly appreciated the final chapters on how to protect yourself from chemicals police use for crowd control/"riots" etc and how time navigate dealing with the police such as house searches and warrants etc. That will definitely come in helpful to many many people. I honestly appreciated every chapter. I would like to buy a hardcopy and take notes at a later date.
June 22, 2024
“In my experience, the work of doing justice transforms people, relationships, and the dynamics between people over time. In those transformations, there is a great deal of joy and meaning to be found.”
A must read book for any activist or organizer. I learned so much from this through its practical lessons and real examples of building power and solidarity.
Truly, building a community of care rooted in humanistic values is transformative and revolutionary. Radically caring for each other is a guiding light through all the horrors of the world, and not just caring for our friends or people we grew up with, but for all of our neighbors.
I strongly believe in embodying the world we want to create, and this book is an amazing manual for how to do that.
A must read book for any activist or organizer. I learned so much from this through its practical lessons and real examples of building power and solidarity.
Truly, building a community of care rooted in humanistic values is transformative and revolutionary. Radically caring for each other is a guiding light through all the horrors of the world, and not just caring for our friends or people we grew up with, but for all of our neighbors.
I strongly believe in embodying the world we want to create, and this book is an amazing manual for how to do that.
June 25, 2024
“Let this radicalize you rather than lead you to despair.” Mariame Kaba
This book is incredible. When the world largely feels like it’s ignoring climate change, an active pandemic, and genocide, it sure can weigh on an otherwise hopeful gal’s heart. Being reminded that there are people out there who care revitalizes the hope and lifts some loneliness. A perfect read for dreamers or doers - highly recommend if you want to kickstart some kind of active connection to help with creating a better world. Just the inspiration I needed 💛
This book is incredible. When the world largely feels like it’s ignoring climate change, an active pandemic, and genocide, it sure can weigh on an otherwise hopeful gal’s heart. Being reminded that there are people out there who care revitalizes the hope and lifts some loneliness. A perfect read for dreamers or doers - highly recommend if you want to kickstart some kind of active connection to help with creating a better world. Just the inspiration I needed 💛
November 4, 2023
I appreciated so much about this book: a focus on radical hope, abundant leadership, community, mutual aid, rest AND rejuvenation, both/and. All. Of. The. Things. I am learning so much from reading these abolition books and feeling so grounded in the work I currently get to do. I know it won’t last forever, yet I’m grateful to be in the space where I am.
November 15, 2023
A book that is just as much about organizing and activism as it is about how to move through the world and work with others generally to me. Lots of insight and advice on how to sustain activist work and also sustain yourself when our world promotes burnout. An educational appendix and glossary was a nice surprise. Highly recommended!
January 26, 2024
There’s good and important information in this book, and I’m glad I read it, but as an overall read it didn’t always work for me. The writing felt repetitive and slow, making it sometimes feel like a chore to pick up. I would still recommend it, but probably mostly to people who are really invested in activism and organizing.
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