Let This Radicalize You: Organizing and the Revolution of Reciprocal Care by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba
Mariame Kaba is an educator, organizer, librarian, and prison industrial complex (PIC) abolitionist who has been doing this work for years. She is also the founder and director of Project NIA, a grassroots abolitionist organization focused on ending youth incarceration. Kelly Hayes is a Menominee author, organizer, movement educator, and host of Truthout’s podcast Movement Memos. She co-founded the Lifted Voices collective and the Chicago Light Brigade.
While this book isn’t particularly long, it contains a wealth of information and insight. It includes so many lessons learned from past (and continuing) struggles, including but not limited to lessons learned during the early parts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are becoming increasingly familiar with things like mass protest and mutual aid but lack more than a surface-level understanding. Kaba and Hayes dive into the intricacies of truly connecting with community beyond the often one-way bullhorn of social media.
The rise of fascism has put many folks in a state of alarm and cynicism. The authors of this book rally against this, as often these negative states can keep us frozen and in a place of inaction. The authors cover how to do this; how to lean into the work and the people. It is so crucial that we care for each other and that no one is left behind. One of the lines in the dedication has stuck with me: “Everything worthwhile is done with other people.” This resonates so much. It is not the current horrors that have caused me to be emotional, but the small acts of care and kindness from coworkers, loved ones, and neighbors. Over and over again, this book speaks to how love and action will get us through, even while we collectively grieve.
I appreciate this book so much and I’m glad that I finally gave it a read.
