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Abolition. Feminism. Now.
An urgent, vital manifesto of intersectional, internationalist, abolitionist feminism, from leading scholar-activists Angela Y. Davis, Gina Dent, Erica Meiners, and Beth E. Richie.
As a politic and a practice, abolition increasingly shapes our political moment—halting the construction of new jails and propelling movements to divest from policing. Yet erased from this landscape are the central histories of feminist organizing—usually queer, anti-capitalist, grassroots, and women of color—that continue to cultivate abolition. Also erased is a recognition of the stark reality: abolition is our best response to endemic forms of state and interpersonal gender and sexual violence.
Amplifying the analysis and the theories of change generated from vibrant community based organizing, Abolition. Feminism. Now. surfaces necessary historical genealogies, key internationalist learnings, and everyday practices to grow our collective and flourishing present and futures.
As a politic and a practice, abolition increasingly shapes our political moment—halting the construction of new jails and propelling movements to divest from policing. Yet erased from this landscape are the central histories of feminist organizing—usually queer, anti-capitalist, grassroots, and women of color—that continue to cultivate abolition. Also erased is a recognition of the stark reality: abolition is our best response to endemic forms of state and interpersonal gender and sexual violence.
Amplifying the analysis and the theories of change generated from vibrant community based organizing, Abolition. Feminism. Now. surfaces necessary historical genealogies, key internationalist learnings, and everyday practices to grow our collective and flourishing present and futures.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2022
About the author
Angela Y. Davis
104 books6,592 followersAngela Yvonne Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a nationally prominent activist and radical in the 1960s, as a leader of the Communist Party USA, and had close relations with the Black Panther Party through her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement despite never being an official member of the party. Prisoner rights have been among her continuing interests; she is the founder of Critical Resistance, an organization working to abolish the prison-industrial complex. She is a retired professor with the History of Consciousness Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the former director of the university's Feminist Studies department.
Her research interests are in feminism, African American studies, critical theory, Marxism, popular music, social consciousness, and the philosophy and history of punishment and prisons. Her membership in the Communist Party led to Ronald Reagan's request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any university in the State of California. She was tried and acquitted of suspected involvement in the Soledad brothers' August 1970 abduction and murder of Judge Harold Haley in Marin County, California. She was twice a candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket during the 1980s.
Her research interests are in feminism, African American studies, critical theory, Marxism, popular music, social consciousness, and the philosophy and history of punishment and prisons. Her membership in the Communist Party led to Ronald Reagan's request in 1969 to have her barred from teaching at any university in the State of California. She was tried and acquitted of suspected involvement in the Soledad brothers' August 1970 abduction and murder of Judge Harold Haley in Marin County, California. She was twice a candidate for Vice President on the Communist Party USA ticket during the 1980s.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
July 13, 2022
Perhaps what I loved most about this book was its modeling of understanding social movements as ecosystems, of living in the tensions and contradictions. It's beautiful.
January 26, 2022
This is an excellent introductory text to abolition feminism as the ideological antithesis to carceral/state feminism. I really loved the synthesis of work being done around the country (but especially my hometown Chicago) that shows the possibilities of collective action. But above all, this book is an invitation--an urgent one--to engage with anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist organizers to build movements and protect our communities.
March 2, 2023
To be fair, this was not my first introduction to abolitionist text. That being said, I was really let down by this book. I don’t feel like it added any real nuances to the conversation or challenged me to dig deeper into my opinions on abolition. It felt more like a historical account of abolitionist work than a call to action.
February 3, 2022
"For example, Chicago's annual budget for substance abuse ($2,581,272) amounts to what Chicago spends on half a day of policing."
this was an incredibly informative read that i can recommend to everyone that calls themselves a feminist!!
this was an incredibly informative read that i can recommend to everyone that calls themselves a feminist!!
January 6, 2023
Although certainly relevant, I didn’t feel this added many new insights into the prison abolition discussion. It read more as an overview of historical feminist abolition movements and organizations than a manifesto for action.
Still decent, but a bit of a letdown if you’re familiar with intersectional feminism and expecting something of depth from these scholars.
Still decent, but a bit of a letdown if you’re familiar with intersectional feminism and expecting something of depth from these scholars.
March 26, 2022
An important genealogy of abolition feminist movements, tracing this work back to examples like Rosa Parks’ anti-rape work that incorporated an analysis of state violence and pointing out the similarities in reformist efforts to build new jails that showed up in the 1930s with the opening of the New York Women’s House of Detention using the same language that was used again in New York in 2019 with the plan to build new borough-based jails. Davis, Dent, Richie and Meiners remind us that our abolition feminism must be internationalist and anti-capitalist, and they document many of the campaigns, collectives, organizations, tools, art pieces, and resources that have sought to do just that. I deeply appreciate this effort to create an archive of the ongoing work and the reminder that we are always building on the work that came before, constantly grappling with new contradictions, and continuously evolving.
May 5, 2022
I feel like I spent most of the book waiting for it to get into the deepness of the connection, but I just never got it. I think it is definitely a place to start from, especially with all of the organizations and leaders it references, but I was just a little underwhelmed
March 9, 2023
an incredibly beautiful and insightful read. i highly recommend!
March 6, 2022
Video discussion here:
https://youtu.be/3GYLBxYMNzA
https://youtu.be/3GYLBxYMNzA
October 27, 2023
an incredible and insightful book!
“abolition. feminism. now.” speaks of the intersection of the police abolition movement and the feminist movement, explaining how and why the two need to work together.
since the summer of 2020, slogans such as “defund the police” and “ACAB” are seen a lot more on the internet however often offer little explanation on how and why we can should do this along with the benefits of defunding the police.
“abolition. feminism. now” explains these arguments so well and in a very accessible way - the language isn’t hard to understand which i think is so important for political works like this!
i found the book a little too U.S-centric while not entirely surprising, it would’ve been nice to have read more on how abolition might work in other countries as well.
thank you so much to viking books for gifting me this - it was a pleasure to read and most insightful!
“abolition. feminism. now.” speaks of the intersection of the police abolition movement and the feminist movement, explaining how and why the two need to work together.
since the summer of 2020, slogans such as “defund the police” and “ACAB” are seen a lot more on the internet however often offer little explanation on how and why we can should do this along with the benefits of defunding the police.
“abolition. feminism. now” explains these arguments so well and in a very accessible way - the language isn’t hard to understand which i think is so important for political works like this!
i found the book a little too U.S-centric while not entirely surprising, it would’ve been nice to have read more on how abolition might work in other countries as well.
thank you so much to viking books for gifting me this - it was a pleasure to read and most insightful!
July 15, 2022
I loved the concept of this one, but I didn't connect with it quite as much as I wanted. It's really very dry and academic, and I personally felt the density of language to be a bit of a barrier here.
April 5, 2022
Unequivocal landmark. This book is so present, so alive. The actuality of abolition. More concrete and dialectical than Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.
March 27, 2022
yepp this book was heat. right away, the project of the book is so compelling and urgent ... a partial "genealogy" of the endless contributing formations, people, efforts, and contexts of current abolition feminisms.
they give a fascinating history of feminist-informed abolitionist movements, including the story of groundbreaking inside-outside anti-prison organizing at a women's prison in NYC in the 1960s and 70s which i'd never heard of. they also analyze the trajectories of the mainstream (white) feminist anti-gender violence movement and radical women-of-color anti-violence movements that were more abolitionist.
painfully, i'd heard a lot about the radical critique of white carceral feminist movements, but not much at all about the grassroots largely women-of-color feminist organizations that leveled those critiques and their actual affirmative WORK which was vibrant and pre-figured a lot of what we seek to build today. this book helps begin to remedy this, by recognizing the SLOW, relational, coalitional, uncompensated, largely unacknowledged work that has been done for decades — overwhelmingly by Black women and other feminists of color — that has made abolition feminism what it is today. INCITE! and Critical Resistance get considerable but deserved attention, and they critically highlight dozens upon dozens of less visible groups, including Audre Lorde Project, Women of All Red Nations, Sista 2 Sista, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Love & Protect, Young Women's Empowerment Project, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Black Abolitionist Network and more and more and more.
chicago ppl should read this for the third section alone, thats a partial history on the abolitionist feminist "ecosystems" in chicago of the last 20 years. they explain that focusing on one place highlights the "everydayness" of abolitionist feminist work. there are ecosystems everywhere, but its a gift that they chose chicago so that we can build our knowledge and understand our place in everything!
i loved this and im so glad the book is in the world. often people will credit Black women or women of color broadly with developing abolition,, which is obviously appropriate,, but it's like,, which ones lol? who? when? where? what were their material conditions and how did they respond? that is the more useful knowledge for abolitionist feminist movements, and this book pushes those questions and more. it also honors the collective labor (and the diverse forms its taken) that have laid the groundwork for abolition feminism. bc abolition-feminism wasn't developed BY angela davis, or mariame kaba, or single orgs like INCITE and Critical Resistance. instead these are all parts of ECOSYSTEMS,, all abolition-feminism is collective and is never finished or perfect. and it emerged organically across many communities over centuries,, often not labelling itself abolitionist at the time.
i didnt even get to summarizing some of the theoretical CONTENT of the book which helps lay out some tenets of abolition feminism .... like understanding the interconnected & structural nature of violence, anti-capitalism, internationalism, deep intersectionality, persistent & rigorous critique, community self-determination, disability justice, bold collective organizing to shift cultures and structures of violence instead of targeting individuals,, and moree. suffice it 2 say the book is also an incredible and brief primer on the actual analysis and practice that makes up abolition-feminism,, i learned a lot and i'd recommend it to anyone!!
they give a fascinating history of feminist-informed abolitionist movements, including the story of groundbreaking inside-outside anti-prison organizing at a women's prison in NYC in the 1960s and 70s which i'd never heard of. they also analyze the trajectories of the mainstream (white) feminist anti-gender violence movement and radical women-of-color anti-violence movements that were more abolitionist.
painfully, i'd heard a lot about the radical critique of white carceral feminist movements, but not much at all about the grassroots largely women-of-color feminist organizations that leveled those critiques and their actual affirmative WORK which was vibrant and pre-figured a lot of what we seek to build today. this book helps begin to remedy this, by recognizing the SLOW, relational, coalitional, uncompensated, largely unacknowledged work that has been done for decades — overwhelmingly by Black women and other feminists of color — that has made abolition feminism what it is today. INCITE! and Critical Resistance get considerable but deserved attention, and they critically highlight dozens upon dozens of less visible groups, including Audre Lorde Project, Women of All Red Nations, Sista 2 Sista, California Coalition for Women Prisoners, Love & Protect, Young Women's Empowerment Project, Sylvia Rivera Law Project, Black Abolitionist Network and more and more and more.
chicago ppl should read this for the third section alone, thats a partial history on the abolitionist feminist "ecosystems" in chicago of the last 20 years. they explain that focusing on one place highlights the "everydayness" of abolitionist feminist work. there are ecosystems everywhere, but its a gift that they chose chicago so that we can build our knowledge and understand our place in everything!
i loved this and im so glad the book is in the world. often people will credit Black women or women of color broadly with developing abolition,, which is obviously appropriate,, but it's like,, which ones lol? who? when? where? what were their material conditions and how did they respond? that is the more useful knowledge for abolitionist feminist movements, and this book pushes those questions and more. it also honors the collective labor (and the diverse forms its taken) that have laid the groundwork for abolition feminism. bc abolition-feminism wasn't developed BY angela davis, or mariame kaba, or single orgs like INCITE and Critical Resistance. instead these are all parts of ECOSYSTEMS,, all abolition-feminism is collective and is never finished or perfect. and it emerged organically across many communities over centuries,, often not labelling itself abolitionist at the time.
i didnt even get to summarizing some of the theoretical CONTENT of the book which helps lay out some tenets of abolition feminism .... like understanding the interconnected & structural nature of violence, anti-capitalism, internationalism, deep intersectionality, persistent & rigorous critique, community self-determination, disability justice, bold collective organizing to shift cultures and structures of violence instead of targeting individuals,, and moree. suffice it 2 say the book is also an incredible and brief primer on the actual analysis and practice that makes up abolition-feminism,, i learned a lot and i'd recommend it to anyone!!
October 18, 2022
I disagree with the theory of this book. Fix the system, change it, but don’t just get rid of it for the sake of a better future without any boundaries based on rhetoric ideas and hopes.
We need prisons, the utopian society where workshops on sexual violence and harassment are enough to solve the problem is hard to believe. Beautiful idea/words yeah but the reality of the world isn’t and living in denial won’t help our cause. We can’t put the blame on prisons when only 25 perpetrators out of 1000 sexual assaults go to jail. We need to adjust our solutions to the present world to implement substantial changes, not the other way around.
Education. Feminism. Now. would be more fitted as we defo need a REFORMED system - but we still need a judiciary system which supports victims and educates offenders (most importantly educate men in general starting from school / at home on racism and feminism). It’d rather read and discuss ideas on how to fix the system moving forward, which is much more realistic and plausible.
We need prisons, the utopian society where workshops on sexual violence and harassment are enough to solve the problem is hard to believe. Beautiful idea/words yeah but the reality of the world isn’t and living in denial won’t help our cause. We can’t put the blame on prisons when only 25 perpetrators out of 1000 sexual assaults go to jail. We need to adjust our solutions to the present world to implement substantial changes, not the other way around.
Education. Feminism. Now. would be more fitted as we defo need a REFORMED system - but we still need a judiciary system which supports victims and educates offenders (most importantly educate men in general starting from school / at home on racism and feminism). It’d rather read and discuss ideas on how to fix the system moving forward, which is much more realistic and plausible.
July 27, 2023
"Abolition. Feminism. Now" offers a great insight into why we do not need more prisons or state supervision and also how the abolition of police is linked to intersectional feminism!
It includes so many statistics and arguments for the abolition of prisons and police, so it's a great starter for anyone who is willing to inform themselves on alternatives, that do not criminalize marginalized groups!
It includes so many statistics and arguments for the abolition of prisons and police, so it's a great starter for anyone who is willing to inform themselves on alternatives, that do not criminalize marginalized groups!
May 12, 2022
an enlightening read for every human being!
May 11, 2024
i have been thinking a lot about longevity of movements and the case study of chicago really solidified my thinking. community in the broadest sense, community as love!
January 13, 2024
An impressively succinct overview of the last fifty years of the intersection of feminism and abolition, including how they seemed to have parted ways for a bit. And a love letter to the women, especially black, indigenous, immigrant, and queer women that led the way. Good lessons here on cooption and invisibility The best part for me was the end. Its frustrating to see groups fall apart over and over without seemingly tangible progress. They showed how all those little (and not so little) things morphed and built on each other to create a real shift in thinking, in imagining, and in what is possible. I did find myself wanting more details about different orgs and their processes. I always thirst for stories about the envelope stuffers and door knockers and this is much more theoretical and top line. Hopefully someone will write that other book someday.
May 27, 2024
i appreciated this book! i like it when reading makes me think. i’m really drawn to this idea of how you instill change with social infrastructure.
in particular, the idea of how institutions co-opt reform as to only strengthen their power (e.g. joe biden arguing to fund the police instead of defund) was interesting to me.
this is my first text on this subject so i hope to acquire more information. it appeared less introductory and more historical.
ending this book is also a nice ending to my trip to italy. shoutout angela david for getting me through the long lines!
in particular, the idea of how institutions co-opt reform as to only strengthen their power (e.g. joe biden arguing to fund the police instead of defund) was interesting to me.
this is my first text on this subject so i hope to acquire more information. it appeared less introductory and more historical.
ending this book is also a nice ending to my trip to italy. shoutout angela david for getting me through the long lines!
January 10, 2023
great introduction to abolition movements that have centered/incorporated feminism and feminist movements that have centered/incorporated abolition. a good, partial historical anthology of movements often erased from dominant history
June 10, 2024
As always, love Angela Davis. Love the discussion that we must shift from "either/or" to "both/and" when considering how to navigate societal change. Love that it was noted women in prison are crucial to change.
July 24, 2023
Phenomenal. Absolutely a must-read for everyone on the left.
January 22, 2024
i got to hear angela davis speak at brown a few months back, and to hear this book discuss mumia abu-jamal felt like an important extension of that event
December 17, 2023
I wish this had been longer!!
September 23, 2023
v good read! all my favourite women hate the prison-industrial complex and its global contributions to white supremacy + transmisogyny
July 26, 2023
Great survey of the essential interconnectedness of abolition and feminism. The over all concepts may be a little redundant if you’ve read stuff by any of the authors, but I appreciated how centered the 2020 BLM movement was.
Also great as a jumping off point to read and look into other books and essays mentioned in the book. Easy read and great starting point for anyone looking to learn more about abolition and any feminist who is interested in true liberation
Also great as a jumping off point to read and look into other books and essays mentioned in the book. Easy read and great starting point for anyone looking to learn more about abolition and any feminist who is interested in true liberation
February 10, 2022
The editors of Abolition. Feminism. Now. present a “critical genealogy” of ongoing movements movements: incomplete, flawed, and alive. I really felt the love and “generative curiosity” in what they created and their roots in organizations that have deeply moved me.
Their telling incorporates some of my favorite concepts: liminality, non-linearity, and decentralizing knowledge. It embodies the limits of labels. As a feminist, I hated adding disclaimers. “Radical trans-inclusive sex-work-inclusive anti-racist anti-colonial anti-capitalist abolitionist global feminism” is the ONLY feminism, but that’s not widely understood, so it’s refreshing to read a book unapologetically centering the feminism I believe in.
If you have a vague sense of how (QT)BIWOC have led every movement, or often use terms like “prison industrial context,” you’ll appreciate the historical details. Beyond buzzword intersectionality, you’ll see connections between abolitionist, disability, immigration, and labor movements. This view of organizing prioritizes small efforts by the most marginalized, and I’m here for it. A case study of Chicago especially highlights the role of grassroots organizations lost to mainstream history, challenging a focus on legislative victory and organizational stamina.
It’s clear from history how “innovations” or “reforms” like e-carceration expand a carceral state, distracting from abolition. I groaned remembering the law and order 90s’ overlapping threads of neoliberal globalization, anti-sex-work “victim’s rights” feminism, prison-based profits, and criminalized social services recipients. But I also was inspired by examples of organizing in prison. Media focus on the abolishing, but not on the inspiring things abolitionists want to BUILD, which is intentional and political. We must persist in recalling history and co-creating the future.
The interrelated issues are vast, but this framework can find root causes and lead to effective change. The best frameworks evolve with emerging needs, helping us to find each other. “What is the #abolitionist #feminist approach to X?” is an excellent starting point.
[ARC provided by Haymarket Books.]
Their telling incorporates some of my favorite concepts: liminality, non-linearity, and decentralizing knowledge. It embodies the limits of labels. As a feminist, I hated adding disclaimers. “Radical trans-inclusive sex-work-inclusive anti-racist anti-colonial anti-capitalist abolitionist global feminism” is the ONLY feminism, but that’s not widely understood, so it’s refreshing to read a book unapologetically centering the feminism I believe in.
If you have a vague sense of how (QT)BIWOC have led every movement, or often use terms like “prison industrial context,” you’ll appreciate the historical details. Beyond buzzword intersectionality, you’ll see connections between abolitionist, disability, immigration, and labor movements. This view of organizing prioritizes small efforts by the most marginalized, and I’m here for it. A case study of Chicago especially highlights the role of grassroots organizations lost to mainstream history, challenging a focus on legislative victory and organizational stamina.
It’s clear from history how “innovations” or “reforms” like e-carceration expand a carceral state, distracting from abolition. I groaned remembering the law and order 90s’ overlapping threads of neoliberal globalization, anti-sex-work “victim’s rights” feminism, prison-based profits, and criminalized social services recipients. But I also was inspired by examples of organizing in prison. Media focus on the abolishing, but not on the inspiring things abolitionists want to BUILD, which is intentional and political. We must persist in recalling history and co-creating the future.
The interrelated issues are vast, but this framework can find root causes and lead to effective change. The best frameworks evolve with emerging needs, helping us to find each other. “What is the #abolitionist #feminist approach to X?” is an excellent starting point.
[ARC provided by Haymarket Books.]
February 26, 2024
I will be re-reading because this is a PACKED book and can be hard to keep up via audiobook. Highly recommend.
February 20, 2022
Honestly I’m not surprised I loved it, I love anything Angela Davis writes. It’s such a powerful and informative book on how abolition movements and feminist movements need each other and how both must work together in order to produce effective change.
I do highly recommend reading about prison abolition and intersectional feminism beforehand though in order to understand what they’re saying in this book!
I do highly recommend reading about prison abolition and intersectional feminism beforehand though in order to understand what they’re saying in this book!
September 13, 2022
A book with so much positive energy it made me increasingly depressed and frustrated and angry as I read it because the change isn't coming. It's just not. Look at the world, the collective we call humanity, and tell me how all the absolutely fucked up shit that has transpired since whenever you want to start cataloging awful hasn't led to a global revolution and something different and better?!?!? How are so many people STILL just going along with the very very few who are dominating their lives?!?!? Here we are, in 2022, memorializing a dead queen. Seriously?!?!? How fucking hard is it to be nice, fashionable, and conciliatory when you DO ABSOLUTELY NOTHING?!?!? And this is the world we are living in, where people are unable or unwilling to recognize the system behind the person. The queen is the perfect personification of what is wrong with the world, the idolization of wealth, prestige, power, superiority, and class to the extreme deficit of billions of humans. BILLIONS. So while I will say this book is probably going to get a lot of people's hearts racing with fevered anticipation that their activism is going to make those breakthroughs and bring down the fucking assholes - almost exclusively White Wealthy Straight "christian" Males -that have ravaged the global collective for millennia, this reader is not one of them. My heart is dead to the world. Still, a great book that might make you feel better, and one that is incredibly well crafted and enlightening.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews