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"A collection of illuminating interviews with leading abolitionist organizers and thinkers, reflecting on the uprisings of summer 2020, the rise of #defund, and the work ahead of bridging the divide between reform and abolition."--
List of contents
Introduction – #Defund: Mo(ve)ment
Chapter One – “Policing as a Colonial Project” with Marisol LeBrón
Chapter Two – “Abolition as a ‘Both/And’ Project” with Dan Berger
Chapter Three – “Community is a Verb” with Zellie Imani
Chapter Four – “Those Who Can, Must!” with Olayemi Olurin
Chapter Five – “Pragmatic Abolitionism” with Jonathan Ilan
Chapter Six – “Justice Healing/Healing Justice” with Michael and Debbie Davis
Chapter Seven – “Defund Saved Us” with Jasson Perez
Conclusion – #Defund: Abolition Praxis & Abolitionist Visions
About the author
Calvin John Smiley is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Hunter College-City University of New York (CUNY). Smiley is the author of
Purgatory Citizenship, published by University of California Press. His writing has appeared in the
Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment,
The Prison Journal, and
Punishment & Society, and his research has been featured in the
Washington Post, the
Guardian,
Toronto Star, and
Le Monde. Outside of writing, Smiley works with incarcerated youth and young men in New York City. He lives in Queens, New York.
www.cjsmiley.com
Summary
A collection of illuminating interviews with leading abolitionist organizers and thinkers, reflecting on the uprisings of summer 2020, the rise of #defund, and the work ahead of bridging the divide between reform and abolition.
The 2020 uprisings against police violence launched a nation conversation about defunding the police and prisons, propelling the #defund movement into the spotlight. The backlash has been swift, beating back efforts to reallocate public funds away from police and other punitive carceral systems and into social welfare programs that provide care, stability, and community.
But as Calvin John Smiley reveals through pointed conversations with academics, activists, and system-impacted individuals, #defund was always more than a brief moment; it is part of an ongoing struggle against white supremacy, capitalism, police state-sanctioned violence, and mass incarceration.
Through interviews with Marisol LeBrón, Dan Berger, Zellie Imani, and Olayemi Olurin, among others, Smiley considers how #defund can bridge the divide between reform and abolition, becoming a catalyst to help organizers realize abolitionist visions. Along the way, these rich conversations illuminate the long histories of systems of repression and protests against them; how policing serves as a colonial project in Puerto Rico and beyond; why creativity and music-making are essential to movement-building; and much more.
Giving voice to those committed to abolitionist praxis, Defund is an essential tool for organizers as we imagine how defund goes from a hashtag to a movement to a reality.
Foreword
- Print and e-ARC distribution to trade and consumer media, both traditional and online, via Goodreads, Edelweiss, and other distribution platforms.
- Targeted outreach to diversity, social justice, and criminal justice/abolition organizations, websites, and publications.
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- PR campaign with print, radio, and digital interview targets.
