Abolition Revolution
Understanding the fight for abolition and systemic change
Aviah Sarah Day author Shanice Octavia McBean author
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Pluto Press
Published:1st Nov '22
Should be back in stock very soon
Abolition Revolution explores the urgent need for systemic change in policing and prisons, linking historical resistance to contemporary movements.
In the wake of George Floyd's tragic murder in Minneapolis, a powerful abolitionist movement emerged, resonating across the globe. The call to defund the police gained significant traction, and soon after, the shocking murder of Sarah Everard by a police officer in Britain ignited a national conversation about the need for systemic change. To truly abolish the police, prisons, and borders, it is essential to confront the enduring legacy of Empire and its impact on contemporary society.
Abolition Revolution serves as a vital guide to understanding abolitionist politics within the British context. The authors weave together rich histories of resistance, tracing a lineage from colonial rebellions to modern grassroots efforts aimed at dismantling carceral systems. They assert that the concept of abolition is integral to reimagining revolutionary movements today, linking it to materialist feminisms, anti-capitalist struggles, international solidarity, and anti-colonial efforts.
This book is not only a resource for seasoned activists but also an accessible introduction for those new to abolitionist ideas. It is designed for reading groups and activist meetings, providing an authoritative narrative on the urgent need for abolition and revolution, both in Britain and around the world. Through its passionate storytelling and insightful analysis, Abolition Revolution encourages readers to engage with the pressing issues of our time.
‘A powerful analysis of the transformative potential of the abolitionist project. Day and McBean show why we must go beyond shifting a few dollars around to directly challenge the logics of capitalism, racism and patriarchy at the heart of the carceral state’
-- Alex S. Vitale, author of ‘The End of Policing’'Vibrantly chronicles the cultural and political landscape of abolitionist practices in the UK. Day and McBean weave a powerful array of analysis, histories and voices - from organisers, scholars, unionists and/or incarcerated people - to offer profoundly necessary historical lessons that formulate the pathways that shape our abolition feminist revolutions'
-- Erica R. Meiners, co-author of ‘Abolition. Feminism. Now.’'Aviah Sarah Day and Shanice Octavia McBean speak with such eloquence, conviction and passion that readers will want to join their struggle for abolition revolution. Their trenchant and concrete analysis of the criminalisation of the Black and Asian youth, of carceral white bourgeois feminism, gentrification, police and state violence make essential reading. Let's heed their call for an abolitionist future'
'Not only does this superlative book expertly dismantle the dogmas of liberal anti-racism and carceral feminism which reproduce the systems of power, it also points the way forward to a post-abolitionist future in a meticulous, clear-headed way. Highly recommended'
-- Silvia Federici, author of ’Caliban and the Witch’'A thorough, engaging and important read - that held me through new information whilst never sacrificing depth. I’m so glad this book exists!'
-- Travis Alabanza, award winning writer, performer and theatre maker'An essential contribution to the debate on strategies for effective political action against systems of criminalisation. A must for read for activists and those who seek a deeper understanding of the development of international abolitionist movement and its relevance to radical and revolutionary politics today'
-- Leila Howe, founding member of the Race Today Collective'An energising, and timely contribution to global debates about abolition and the growing interest in the UK in building on the organising and resistance to state violence and challenging the racism, misogyny and harms of policing and incarceration. A book to help us imagine and develop a world without carceral injustice but transformative social and racial justice.'
-- Deborah Coles, Director of INQUEST'This book adds to the excellent emerging literature about police, prison and border abolition in a UK specific context. Abolition Revolution is very special because McBean and Day combine deep theoretical and historical knowledge with practical organising experience, specifically in the context of violence against women and austerity. If you feel that there must be a better way to deal with harm and violence then this book is for you.'
-- Yara Rodrigues Fowler, ‘Guardian’'Amazing!'
-- A reviISBN: 9780745346519
Dimensions: 198mm x 129mm x 22mm
Weight: 284g
320 pages