Our February Selection

Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Happy Black History Month!

We are excited to announce February’s book, the first work of fiction for Toward Liberation. Our intention has always been to explore the breadth of language that liberates in all its forms. Fiction is an especially powerful genre that serves as the scaffold to spark the imagination required of us to dream and create a world where we can all be free. In addition to priming us for abolitionist ideas, fiction creates deeper empathy and understanding and has a proven capacity to make readers more compassionate.

For our first foray into fiction, we thought choosing the latest novel from one of today’s greatest living writers was fitting. Jesmyn Ward is very likely to be your favorite writer’s favorite writer. In Let Us Descend, Ward tells the story of Annis, a young girl enslaved to a man who is also her father. First, her mother is sold, leaving Annis bereft, and then another blow is dealt when she herself is sold “south,” to New Orleans and later a sugar plantation.

At a recent book talk for Let Us Descend, Ward was asked why she wrote a story set during the period of enslavement, particularly given some recent criticisms that too many Black fictive works focus on this period of history. The moderator asked, “What stories should we be writing about slavery?”

Ward broached the question by discussing the research she conducted as part of her writing process. She explained how surprised she was to learn how much and how often the enslaved resisted.

“Our ancestors resisted at every step. Resistance wasn’t here or there. Their lives were suffused with resistance. They broke tools, stole tools. They created family and community when they were separated from each other. When you sit with it and learn more about it, it really complicates the ideas we hold about our ancestors.” - Jesmyn Ward

We look forward to reading this month and exploring new ways to think about resistance and liberation. Please save the date, Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 6 pm EST for our Zoom meeting. 

See you soon,

connease & Alan

*Though we are, notably, taking a departure from books that center Palestine, we remain committed to uplifting efforts on behalf of the liberation of Palestine, resisting Empire, and demanding a permanent ceasefire and a Free Palestine. And though it may seem incongruous with our February selection, we will continue offering resources in our posts this month.