As a part of the African American Film Series this year, librarians have created some amazing resource lists that can help you take your understanding of the people, places, times and themes these films bring to life beyond the screen. For Douglass-Truth’s upcoming screening of the documentary Free Angela and All Political Prisoners, on Sunday, May 8th at 2 p.m., here are a few books to deepen your experience:
Angela Davis: An Autobiography
by Angela Y. Davis
UCLA professor, political activist, former fugitive, communist, and Black Panther Party member Angela Davis describes her remarkable early journey as she became a major American figure in the fight for human rights.
Assata: An Autobiography by Assata Shakur
Convicted under questionable circumstances of being an accomplice to murder, Assata Shakur fled to Cuba and wrote an autobiography about her experiences as an activist in the Black Panther Party and how the U.S. government systematically destroyed revolutionary groups. Her memoir has become an important text for those studying critical race theory.
The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Elizabeth Alexander
Disproportionately targeted by the War on Drugs and other crime policies, African Americans are more likely to experience imprisonment and fewer opportunities for advancement. Alexander argues that reforming these policies needs to be at the forefront of the fight for racial and social justice.
Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party by Joshua Bloom
Joshua Bloom and Waldo Martin have penned a definitive history of the Black Panther Party, the revolutionary Black nationalist and socialist organization, including its politics and global influence as it led the fight against American imperialism on home soil.
Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine and the Foundation of a Movement by Angela Y. Davis
Reflecting on widespread state violence and oppression that has occurred throughout modern history, and the resistance movements they spurred, Angela Davis puts today’s struggles for freedom into a global context and challenges readers to continue to fight for full human liberation.
Here is a link to the rest of the list. Check out more of the films in the series here!
~ posted by Misha S.
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