Celebrating Black History and a Legacy of Literacy
Plus the Complete Toward Liberation Bookshelf!
Happy Black History Month! Since Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week in 1926, this year marks 100 years of taking intentional time and space in February to honor the history and contributions of Black Americans.
With a sense of awe, pride, and hope, we remember that between 1740 and 1834, Southern slave states enacted anti-literacy laws, prohibiting anyone from teaching enslaved and free people of color to read or write. Despite these laws and the severe penalties that came with breaking them, throughout our history in the Americas, Black people excelled at producing written work that has inspired, entertained, challenged, and pushed us toward liberation. Because, Still We Rise! (Word to Maya Angelou.)
Below we have shared the selections from Black authors on our Toward Liberation bookshelf. You can also find our complete bookshelf by year. It was quite a trip back down memory lane! If you’ve been on this journey with us, please leave your favorite TL selection in the comments.
As always, thanks for rocking with us! And if you are a recent subscriber, welcome! We look forward to meeting the newest members of the TL community at the upcoming discussion of: Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M. E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi on February 24th at 6pm EST. Co-Author M. E. O’Brien will be joining us!
Black Authors on the Toward Liberation Bookshelf:
Assata An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
Selections from Hammer & Hope:
Framework to Help Us Understand The World by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò | a selection from Hammer & Hope
After the Uprising, What Is To Be Done? by Keeanga Yahmata-Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, and Derecka Purnell
Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnic
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Let This Radicalize You | Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
A Map to the Door of No Return by Dionne Brand
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne marie brown
Practicing New Worlds: Abolition and Emergent Strategies by Andrea Ritchie
Parable of the Sower (Graphic Novel) by Octavia Butler; Adapted by Damian Duffy; Illustrated by John Jennings
The Day God Saw Me as Black by D. Danyelle Thomas
Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt by Orisanmi Burton
Scrap Theory: Reproductive Injustice in the Black Feminist Imagination by Mali D. Collins
The Complete Toward Liberation Bookshelf
2023:
Assata An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: The Case for Abolition by Alan Dettlaff
Selections from Hammer & Hope
Framework to Help Us Understand The World by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò | a selection from Hammer & Hope
After the Uprising, What Is To Be Done?, Keeanga Yahmata-Taylor, Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò, and Derecka Purnell
Except for Palestine: The Limits of Progressive Politics by Marc Lamont Hill and Mitchell Plitnick
2024:
Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement by Angela Davis
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall
Let This Radicalize You | Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World Changing Idea by Leah Hunt-Hendrix and Astra Taylor
Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
A Map to the Door of No Return by Dionne Brand
2025:
Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by adrienne marie brown
Parable of the Sower (Graphic Novel) by Octavia Butler; Adapted by Damian Duffy; Illustrated by John Jennings
Practicing New Worlds: Abolition and Emergent Strategies by Andrea Ritchie
The Day God Saw Me as Black by D. Danyelle Thomas
Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt by Orisanmi Burton
Scrap Theory: Reproductive Injustice in the Black Feminist Imagination by Mali D. Collins
2026:
Everything for Everyone: An Oral History of the New York Commune, 2052–2072 by M. E. O’Brien and Eman Abdelhadi
BONUS….Toward Liberation’s Origin Story
From Alan:
When I was Dean of the Graduate College of Social Work at the University of Houston, I began the “Dean’s Social Justice Summer Reading Series.” Each summer, I selected a book and invited our incoming MSW students, as well as our faculty and staff, to read together. This first “assignment” was our way of initiating a journey of critical thinking and action related specifically to racial justice.
In December 2022, I was removed from my position as Dean due to the university administration’s concerns over my abolitionist views and the abolitionist direction in which I was leading the college. As a result, I wasn’t able to select a summer read for 2023 and the “Dean’s Social Justice Summer Reading Series” was no more.
This was the spark that created Toward Liberation. Just because I was no longer Dean didn’t mean we couldn’t still read together and continue to grow as a community committed to justice and liberation. I asked connease to join me as she had always been a critical voice in selecting each year’s book and in developing the messaging behind the series.
2016: Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
2017: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs
2018: Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
2019: Heavy by Kiese Laymon
2020: Felon by Reginald Dwayne Betts and Citizen by Claudia Rankine
2021: Bird Uncaged by Marlon Peterson
2022: Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families--and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World by Dorothy Roberts | Also in 2022, though not technically part of the series, the entire college was gifted copies of Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell.
Thank you as always for reading! We look forward to seeing you later this month. In the meantime, enjoy Black History Month! Let us know who you are celebrating in the comments!