Have Black Lives Ever Mattered?

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Mumia Abu-Jamal: Have Black Lives Ever Mattered? (2017, City Lights Books)

144 pages

English language

Published Jan. 5, 2017 by City Lights Books.

ISBN:
978-0-87286-739-0
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4 stars (2 reviews)

"'This collection of short meditations, written from a prison cell, captures the past two decades of police violence that gave rise to Black Lives Matter while digging deeply into the history of the United States. This is the book we need right now to find our bearings in the chaos'--Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, author of An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States; 'Mumia's writings are a wake-up call. He is a voice from our prophetic tradition, speaking to us here, now, lovingly, urgently'--Cornel West; 'He allows us to reflect upon the fact that transformational possibilities often emerge where we least expect them'--Angela Y. Davis; In December 1981, Mumia Abu Jamal was shot and beaten into unconsciousness by Philadelphia police. He awoke to find himself shackled to a hospital bed, accused of killing a cop. He was convicted and sentenced to death in a trial that Amnesty International has denounced as failing …

2 editions

Review of 'Have Black lives ever mattered?' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Made up of mostly one and two-page essays on current or historical events written over a period of many years. The repetitive nature of these essays drives home the fact that the racism and violence against the Black community in America happens again and again and again. Abu-Jamal’s writing is engaging and informative. The longer form piece near the end makes me interested in reading more of his work.

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4 stars

Subjects

  • Blacks, social conditions
  • Blacks, civil rights