Description
Book SynopsisA literarymixtape of transformative dialogues on justice with a cast of visionary rebel activists, organizers,artists, culture workers, thought leaders, and movement builders. Rebel Speaksounds the alarm for a global movement to end systemic injustice led by people doing the day-to-day rebel work in the prison capital of the world. Prison activist, artist, and scholarBryonnRolly Bain brings us transformativeoral history ciphers, rooted in the tradition of call-and-response, to lay bare the struggle and sacrifice on the front lines of the fight to abolish the prison industrial complex. Rebel Speakinvestigates themotives that inspire and sustain movements for visionary change. Sparked by a life-changing interview with working-class heroes Dolores Huerta and Harry Belafonte,Bryonninvites us to join conversationswith change-makers whose diverse critical perspectives and firsthand accounts expose the crisis of prisons and policing in our communities.Through dialogues with activists incl
Trade Review"Prison activist Bryonn Bain presents a diverse and eye-opening series of discussions on mass incarceration, racial profiling, and other criminal justice issues. Describing the book as a ‘dialogue-centered mixtape,’ Bain pays homage throughout to the hip-hop culture that inspired and informed his activism. . . . A powerful and intimate look at the fight for a more equitable and compassionate justice system." * Publishers Weekly *
“Coming at a time when those who benefit from white supremacy are attacking critical race theory and Black perspectives generally,
Rebel Speak is an impassioned addition to conversations about how America was designed to harm Black citizens—and how it continues to do so.” * Foreword Reviews *
“
Rebel Speak: A Justice Movement Mixtape certainly captures the right vibe, from the cover image of a hand-labeled cassette tape, to the tracklist-style table of contents, to the way the author uses each chapter to pass the mic to people he admires.
Rebel Speak features the voices of high-profile artists and activists alongside those of formerly incarcerated men and women to highlight the big issues of justice in society.” * KCET-TV Online *
"Throughout his book, Bain uses his and his subjects’ personal perspectives to explore more universal ideas of effective alternatives to mass incarceration." * Pittsburgh Post-Gazette *
Table of ContentsForeword by Angela Davis
Prologue. Criminal Minded: The Hip Hop Roots of the Critical Race Rebellion
Track #1. The Blueprint
The Radical Solidarity of Dolores Huerta and Harry Belafonte
Track #2. Panther Rising
How Albert Woodfox Survived Four Decades in Solitary
Track #3. 21st Century Harriet Tubman
A Dialogue with Susan Burton
Track #4. Critical Justice
Mass Incarceration, Mental Health, and Trauma
Track #5. Beyond the Bars
Jennifer Claypool and Wendy Staggs on Life after Lockdown
Track #6. Fear of a Black Movement
Public Enemy's Chuck D Fights the Power Thirty Years Strong—A Dialogue with Alicia Virani
Track #7. Live from Juvi
The Artivism of Maya Jupiter and Aloe Blacc—A Dialogue with Rosa M. Rios
Track #8. Trap Classics
Who's Capitalizing on Cannabis and Incarceration?
Track #9. Sing Sing Blues
Reflections of a Street Cop Turned Warden
Track #10. Homecoming
Returning from Prison in a Pandemic—A Dialogue with Cheyenne Michael Simpson
Acknowledgments
Index
