A Good Read #1- Abolition Democracy (Angela Davis)

Title- Abolition Democracy: Beyond Empire, Prisons, and Torture

By- Angela Y. Davis (yes, that Angela Davis)

Description (via  http://www.sevenstories.com...cuz they do better than I could!!!)- Revelations about U.S policies and practices of torture and abuse have captured headlines ever since the breaking of the Abu Ghraib prison story in April 2004. Since then, a debate has raged regarding what is and what is not acceptable behavior for the world’s leading democracy. It is within this context that Angela Davis, gave a series of interviews to discuss resistance and law, institutional sexual coercion, politics and prison. She talks about her own incarceration, as well as her experiences as “enemy of the state,” and about having been put on the FBI’s “most wanted” list. She talks about the crucial role that international activism played in her case and the case of many other political prisoners.

Throughout these interviews, Davis returns to her critique of a democracy that has been compromised by its racist origins and institutions. Discussing the most recent disclosures about the disavowed “chain of command,” and the formal reports by the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch denouncing U.S. violation of human rights and the laws of war in Guantánamo, Afghanistan and Iraq, Davis focuses on the underpinnings of prison regimes in the United States.

The Mu Report:

I came across this book back in 2006 at the Big 12 conference at Iowa State University. Angela Davis was a keynote speaker and had this book for sale; therefore, I had to buy it. After getting her to sign it, I told myself, "I'm definitely reading this book on the drive home!" 6 years later, I've finally read it and I'm kicking myself for waiting soooo long! Angela Davis really forces one to re-examine their perspective on the prison system and America's so called "democracy". She highlights the violence and fascist-like tendencies behind this country's endless pursuit to export our experimental democracy throughout the world. She also removes the veil that covers the public view of how we perceive criminals. She mentions how our society's leaders fill us with fear to cover up the torture, inhumane treatment, and false imprisonment that are beginning to define our prison system. She spends a good amount of time expanding on W.E.B DuBois's opinion about the failure of the emancipation of slavery. She shows how this helped create a prison system that continued to maintain dominance over entire populations. She ends by encouraging people to take risks and stop waiting for role models to arise. She believes we should be willing to make mistakes and help produce new modes of organizing.

Score - Scoring is based on a scale of Afro-picks. 1= Waste of time, 2= Looks good on my book shelf, 3= Worth reading, 4= Will impact your life, 5= Might lead a Revolution!

 

I actually give this book 4.5 picks out of 5. I feel it would have been easier to digest if not written in interview format. The interviewer was obviously trying to get in his opinion and sometimes took away from the genius that is Davis. Nonetheless, Davis will make you question how much of the "kool-aid" you've been drinking for all these years.