Revolutionary

Last Man Standing : The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt
by Jack Olsen

Consummate journalist and author Jack Olsen has given us a superbly crafted chronicle of outrage -- of justice denied -- and a man's incredible strength of character in the face of terrible and terrifying prejudice and misuse of power. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to anyone, regardless of their area of interest or what they think they know about the Geronimo Pratt case, the LAPD, the FBI, or the American justice system. It is, quite simply, a hell of a story, beautifully told.

The Black Panthers Speak; by Philip S. Foner

The first and only collection of the most vital, representative writings of the party, this book explains the Black Panther Party's court battles and acquittals, its position on black separatism, the power structure, the police, violence, and education, what the Party stood for, and what issues they confronted--almost all of which remain unresolved today.

Black Power The Politics of Liberation
Stokely Carmichael, Charles V. Hamilton (Contributor), Kwame Ture

In 1967, this revolutionary work exposed the depths of systemic racism in this country and provided a radical political framework for reform: true and lasting social change would only be accomplished through unity among African-Americans and their independence from the preexisting order. An eloquent document of the civil rights movement that remains a work of profound social relevance 25 years after it was first published.

The Confessions of Nat Turner
by William Styron

It's a shame that this book has been shrouded in accusations of racism and bigotry, because it detracts from the simple fact that "Nat Turner" is a beautifully written, impressively narrated and horribly affecting novel. Styron's Nat is a fully realized, memorable and finely-drawn character, whose insights into slavery and human nature in general, linger long after the closing words. In the end he emerges, not so much as a hero, but as a human pushed to the brink by circumstances beyond his control. An essential read for anyone who enjoys novels which plumb the depths of the human condition.

Revolution by the Book : (The Rap Is Live)
by Imam Jamil Al-Amin (H Rap Brown)

South Carolina Black Media Group, Sept. 2, 1993
Al-Amin thoroughly explains the principles of Islam and its role in the struggle against oppression . . . Many of the young African-Americans who are struggling for equality, idolize Al-Amin and choose to raise the consciousness of people through what is called rap music...reminiscent of his former nickname "Rap"...earned on the streets because of his mastery of the Black vernacular.
The Black Collegian, Jan.-Feb., 1994
. . . absolutely scintillating expression of controversial ideas by one so gifted in language to become known as "Rap" . . . Al-Amin is still using his gift . . . to call the people to action.
Muslim Journal, Sept. 3, 1993
. . . stresses that the [real] revolution begins within every individual [upon recognizing] the greatness of Allah as the Creator and Lord and [submitting] to His natural laws. . . universal, timeless truth which frees the mind and allows the soul to draw near its Creator.


Soul on Ice; by Eldridge Cleaver

This book was the best inside look at the black male experience since Ellison's "Invisible Man" Cleaver cuts no corners, spares not feelings, and takes no prisoners. The book should be required reading for every African-Americans studies program in America, and every African-American Literature course in America. Cleaver is an excellent writer that proves that you don't have a PhD. to be an intelligent, articulate, person. Cleaver has knowledge he gained from school of hard knocks and the school of life. Like Malcolm X, Cleaver had to fall in order to get up and become a man!!!!!

The Black Jacobins : Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution
by Cyril Lionel Robert James

Just what sort of a man was Toussaint L'ouverture? Was he a violent revolutionary or a Saint? Perhaps the answer lies somewhere between the two. In any event, he was to be the man who would inspire the Haitian Revolution; the only successful revolt of slaves against their colonial rulers. The book masterfully chronicles the history of San Domingo from 1789, to the establishment of an independent Haiti in 1803. It reveals the intrigue practiced by the differing racial groups and the often unlikely alliances they formed in order to gain or maintain power. How France came to lose this jewel in her colonial empire is clearly explained - a defeat brought about not exclusively by force of arms. The book is a must for any reader who desires to know how a man with vision and courage can inspire an unquenchable thirst for liberty in those without hope.

Assata : An Autobiography

I had been referred by so many people to read this book and had heard so much about it that I decided to give it a try. Assada sends you on a true journey of her real life events that keeps you captivated from cover to cover. There was never a dull moment in this book. I am no where a big reader, but I could not put this book down. I finished it in five days time (a personal record for my non-reader self). Anyone who is the least bit interested about the revolutionary movement, the life of a political prisoner, or just wants a good read should get this book. It is well worth it. I'd give it double my score if it were possible.

Angela Davis; by Angela Davis & Joy James

Three decades of writing from a revolutionary figure whose analyses of culture, gender, capital, and race expanded the scope and range of social and political theory. In 18 essays, many challenging the foundations of mainstream discourse, this illuminating volume presents Davis's writings and interviews on liberation theory and democratic praxis.

Women Race & Class ; by Angela Davis

Longtime activist, author and political figure Angela Davis brings us this expose of the women's movement in the context of the fight for civil rights and working class issues. She uncovers a side of the fight for suffrage many of us have not heard: the intimate tie between the anti-slavery campaign and the struggle for women's suffrage. She shows how the racist and classist bias of some in the women's movement have divided its own membership. Davis' message is clear: If we ever want equality, we're gonna have to fight for it together.

The Genius of Huey Newton; by Huey Newton & Julian L. D. Shabazz

One of the most powerful yet obscure titles written by Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton. Originally published circa 1968 as a fund raising tool for the "Free Huey" defense fund, this book delves deeply into Newton's thinking on a variety of political subjects. With an introduction by Eldridge Cleaver, it represents one of the most poignant tomes of the Black revolutionary period.

A Nation Within A Nation
by Amiri Baraka

Professor Peniel Joseph writes that, "Historian Komozi Woodard's `A Nation Within A Nation' ... stands out as the most important book to be written about the Black Power Movement. `A Nation Within A Nation' is really several books rolled into one. First, it is a well-researched and painstakingly detailed case study of the dramatic consequences of Black Power politics on [the] racial and political dynamics of Newark, New Jersey during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Second, it is a political biography that underscores the significance of Amiri Baraka to the Black Power Movement's rise and eventual decline in American politics. Third, the book explores the transformation of black cultural nationalism during the Black Power era and Baraka's pivotal role in contemporizing black nationalism as an expressive political and cultural vehicle. Finally, it's a study of the divese and complex matrix that produced black political thought and practice during the period; a historical interrogation of the national and international implications of radical anti-colonial discourses that undergirded Black Power politics."

Agents of Repression
The Fbi's Secret Wars Against the Black Panther Party and the American Indian Movement
by Ward Churchill, James Vanderwall, James Vander Wall (Contributor), Jim Vander Wall

If you're naive enough to believe that the only governments who commit human rights atrocities against their people are in places like China or Burma or Turkey or Chile or Nigeria or Guatemala, then you'd better read this book.

Souldad Brother
by George Jackson

George L. Jackson's oeuvre is a honest, brutal appraisal of the amerikan prison system that victimized and eventually murdered him in 1971. As stated in the introduction by the author's nephew, Jonathan Jackson, Jr. his words are still, unfortunately, relevant today vis-a-vis Mumia Abu-Jamal, the privatization of the prison system, etc. Worthy of a careful reading along with the Angela Davis Autobiography. Truly revolutionary words that survived his death and will presage his revindication.

A Taste of Power : A Black Woman's Story
by Elaine Brown

review by Donna Nichols-White
In her autobiography A Taste of Power, A Black Woman's Story, Elaine Brown chronicles her life from her childhood through her rise to the head of the Black Panther Party. She describes her feelings of powerlessness and fear as a black girl growing up in a poor section of North Philadelphia and her desire to assimilate in order to become like her elementary school classmates - white and affluent. It is not until after college and several eye-opening relationships with white men that she becomes politicized and turns to the Black Panther Party. She feels that their struggle is her struggle, their problems are her problems - but she rapidly finds herself in conflict. In the midst of a Black Panther Party that has become obsessed with armed revolution, she fights for social programs such as food banks, schools, and medical assistance. During her rise to leadership she repeatedly has to confront the machismo of the Panther Party: "A woman in the Black Power movement was considered, at best, irrelevant ... If a black woman assumed a role of leadership, she was said to be eroding black manhood, to be hindering the progress of the black race. She was an enemy of black people." She journeys from belief to disagreement to violent opposition, and eventually flees in fear for her safety. A Taste of Power is an insightful, detailed, and fast-moving look into Elaine Brown's struggles against oppression and opposition, before and during the era of the Black Panther movement.

Black Rebellion : Five Slave Revolts
by Thomas Wentworth Higginson, James M. McPherson