I want to start with the controversy over the cover. I’ve read that there was backlash over making a Black woman the face of the fight for abolition when Black womxn have been forced to fight for themselves on so many fronts already. I do believe that Colin Kaepernick should have listened to the Black womxn speaking up about this and changed the cover. That said, I think I understand the thoughts behind the cover, recognizing and honoring the Black womxn and femmes who have fought for their freedom. Still, if the people you are representing do not want to be represented in this context, you should listen and respect that.

The essays themselves were incredible. This book looks at abolition from so many intersecting yet distinct perspectives, showing that while the Prison Industrial Complex (PIC) was created to oppress BIPOC, abolition also reaches those harmed by ableism, gender violence, poverty, and more. Everyone is impacted. I learned that abolition is as much a daily practice as a global movement. I considered the various claims of the PIC and how none of them have ever been fulfilled. The question is not “So I can’t call the police when I’m in danger?” but “How can we build a better community where the police are the only option (and just as likely to harm you as help you)?” Abolition is not simply tearing down a structure that efficiently harms all those deemed “other”, but also the building of a better future. It recognizes that there are so many other institutions and movements to invest in that can actually heal communities. I see the critiques that others have made, and I’m glad to have that context. But I agree with these writers that we can dream bigger than putting bandaids on symptoms and making real progress at the roots.