Episode 48: We've Always Been Here: The Radical Spirit of Black Abolitionist Feminisms

March 24, 2022

Speakers 

Andrea Ritchie
maya finoh

How has Black feminism ushered in our current understanding and practice of abolition? On the 48th episode of the Activist Files, advocacy associate maya finoh speaks with Andrea Ritchie, an attorney, author, organizer, and co-founder of Interrupting Criminalization and In Our Names Network, who has been documenting, organizing, advocating, litigating, and agitating around policing and criminalization of Black cis/trans women and girls and trans and gender non-conforming people for the past three decades. maya and Andrea discuss what it’s like being ahead of the curve on these concepts; why it’s critical to center Black women, girls, and queer and trans people; the experience of working with survivors on abolitionist projects; and the impact of previous feminist organizations and formations on creating the Black feminist and abolitionist futures being actualized today. Andrea's newest book, No More Police: A Case for Abolition, which is co-authored with Mariame Kaba, will be released this summer. This episode is part of the Center for Constitutional Rights' programming honoring Women's History Month.

Organizations and projects:

Interrupting Criminalization

In Our Names Network

JMacForFamilies

Movement for Family Power

Common Justice

INCITE!

BYP100 & She Safe, We Safe

Black Visions

The Black Nashville Assembly

Decriminalize Seattle

Dream Defenders

Durham Beyond Policing

Books, articles, and reports:

No More Police: A Case for Abolition (Andrea Ritchie & Mariame Kaba)

Invisible No More (Andrea Ritchie)

SAY HER NAME Report (AAPF & Andrea Ritchie)

Prison by Any Other Name (Maya Schenwar & Victoria Law)

Torn Apart  (Dorothy Roberts)

Abolition. Feminism. Now. (Angela Davis & Gina Dent)

Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police (Mariame Kaba)

The Demand is Still #DefundPolice (Interrupting Criminalization)

What About The Rapists (Interrupting Criminalization)

Shrouded in Silence (Interrupting Criminalization)

Other:

Doe v. Jindal

Podcast Transcript PDF