Imagination - A Manifesto

A world without prisons? Ridiculous. Schools that foster the genius of every child? Impossible. Work that doesn't strangle the life out of people? Naive. A society where everyone has food, shelter, love? In your dreams. Exactly. Ruha Benjamin, Princeton University professor, insists that imagination isn't a luxury. It is a vital resource and powerful tool for collective liberation.

Imagination is her proclamation that we have the power to use our imaginations to challenge systems of oppression and to create a world in which everyone can thrive. But obstacles abound. We have inherited destructive ideas that trap us inside a dominant imagination. Consider how racism, sexism and classism make hierarchies, exploitation and violence seem natural and inevitable-but all emerged from the human imagination.

The most effective way to disrupt these deadly systems is to do so collectively. Benjamin highlights the educators, artists, activists and many others who are refuting powerful narratives that justify the status quo, crafting new stories that reflect our interconnection, offering creative approaches to seemingly intractable problems.

Imagination offers visionary examples and tactics to push beyond the constraints of what we think, and are told, is possible. This book is for anyone who is ready to take to heart Toni Morrison's instruction: "Dream a little before you think."

About the author

Ruha Benjamin is a professor of African American studies and the founder of the Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton University, and a MacArthur Fellow. The author of the Stowe Prize–winning Viral Justice, as well as Race After Technology and People’s Science, Benjamin lives in Princeton, New Jersey.

Product details

• Authors: Ruha Benjamin, Benjamin Ruha
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 14.04.2025
• EAN: 9781324105015
• ISBN: 978-1-324-10501-5
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 211 mm x 13 mm
• Weight: 166 g
• Illustrations: 7 illustrations
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; Political Ideologies, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Ideologies / Capitalism, Political activism, Social issues & processes, Economic systems and structures, Economic systems & structures, Ethnic groups and multicultural studies, Impact of science & technology on society, Ethnic minorities & multicultural studies, Impact of science and technology on society, Social and ethical issues, Black & Asian Studies, Political ideologies and movements, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Technology Studies, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Activism & Social Justice, Political activism / Political engagement, Relating to African American / Black American people