Maroon the Implacable: The Collected Writings of Russell Maroon Shoatz

by Russell Maroon Shoatz, Quincy Saul (Editor), Fred Ho (Editor)

During a lengthy incarceration spent mostly in solitary confinement, Russell Maroon Shoatz has developed into a prolific writer and powerful voice for the disenfranchised. This first published collection of his accumulated works showcases his sharp and profound understanding of the current historical moment, with clear proposals for how to move forward embracing new political concepts and practices. Informed by Shoatz's experience as a leader in the Black Liberation Movement in Philadelphia, the pieces in this book put forth his fresh and self-critical retelling of the black liberation struggle in the United States and provide cutting-edge analysis of the prison-industrial complex. Innovative and revolutionary on multiple levels, the essays also discuss such varied topics as eco-socialism, matriarchy and eco-feminism, food security, prefiguration and the Occupy Wall Street movement. Including new essays written expressly for this volume, Shoatz's unique perspective offers many practical and theoretical insights for today's movements for social change.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Essays, Politics, Activism

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Mark E. Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell Maroon Shoatz isn't just a revolutionary but also an escape artist who puts Houdini to shame. After escaping from prisons and being recaptured and placed in solitary confinement for decades, Shoatz managed an escape that only a tiny handful of US males, often the most skilled and experienced warriors, have ever managed--an escape from the patriarchal mindset that created the courts and prisons which have enslaved millions. This feat, accomplished despite the limits on visitation and reading privileges imposed by the prison authorities, is so remarkable that I'm tempted to give the book five stars instead of four, but this is merely a brief introduction to his thoughts and writings. Another book is to be published soon and I hope that one will merit the full five stars.

[Karimah Grayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened my eyes about the different pressed people throughout the Americas. It's amazing the information the author possessed while being in solitary confinement for decades. I suggest everyone read this book.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The one thing I kept thinking as I read the essays which make up this book was, "Imagine what Maroon could do with access to the resources we have at our fingertips and take so much for granted."

Until recently locked in a torturous solitary confinement cell for more than twenty years, the knowledge produced by this revolutionary is impressive. He covers a range of topics, taking a hard look at the successes, failures and lessons of the revolutionary movements of the past while at the same time engaging with what is needed for creating a better world in the future.

It is fascinating to see how his thinking and the range of topics he addresses expanded over the years. Most notable is his firm and unwavering rejection of patriarchy and his proposal for matriarchy to take its place.

While I did not see eye to eye with everything he put forward, this was a very engaging read, written in an accessible - but not superficial - manner, that provides much to think about. A book I am sure I will often turn to as a reference in the future.

Free Maroon! Free all political prisoners!

[Clove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Russell Maroon Shoatz lived through it all – BPL, civil right movement, escaping prison, living as a maroon, and decades of state sanctioned torture via solitary confinement. This collection of essays provides ample context for the Black liberation movement and Shoatz’ own growth in theory and politics. The most fascinating part to me is his call to action: while race, class, and impending climate doom are all on his mind, he prioritizes matriarchy above all. His study of feminist texts came later in life than most leftists and he is honest about the ways that he supported the patriarchy, even from his place within the liberation movement, even from solitary confinement. What feels like a basic, surface level (ie white feminist) solution to worldwide subjugation becomes a full circle understanding about the source of oppression.

RIP Maroon.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

To have such brilliant and sharp radical analyses and understandings of history and the many ways capitalism, white supremacy, patriarchy and imperialism morph and reconstitute themselves, while being tortured for nearly 40 years is... stunning and awe-inspiring.

His black, radical (feminist) critiques of the BPP , NOI and the Marxist-Leninist idea of the vanguard party were everything. His challenge to the reader to expand/problematize our understandings of "(potential) political prisoners" was mind-blowing for me. And... I always have a special place in my heart for feminist, dialectical analyses of revolutionary violence :)

[Soph Nova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good set of essays and reflections from someone that clearly is dedicated to the work of building a movement no matter the costs. Even though I may disagree with some of the solutions/strategies proposed by Maroon, and didn’t resonate with all the metaphors/examples used,it was still definitely worth reading this!

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is one of the most important and mindblowing books i've ever read. the author takes us through important and often un-taught pages of history, including both the history of the maroons and of the radical Black formations of the 60s and 70s.

The Maroons--people who escaped from slavery, indigenous genocide, and indentured servitude to form communities of mutual support in inaccessible locations like rainforests and swamps--are an incredible inspiration for our time in their determination to live in freedom, their willingness to fight for it, and their cross-racial solidarity and strength. The author examines examples of Maroon communities from across the current-day US as well as in Haiti, Jamaica, and Suriname. Also important is the formation that he analyzes common to all of them: the "hydra", a loose horizontal network; he contrasts this to the "dragon," which would be a strong central leader. A dragon is easily beheaded; the hydra is the way to go when fighting militarily stronger forces. This is a great tutorial for modern-day anarchists who think Proudhon invented anarchism: these Maroon "hydra" organizations existed long before Proudhon was born - in the 1600s, 1700s, and onward; in Haiti, they created a revolution; in Suriname, Maroon communities remain autonomous today.

Also incredibly important is Shoatz's analysis of the Black radical movements of the 60s and 70s and their strategic and tactical strengths and errors. Essential tutorial for us today as we face the same beast, morphed to be more powerful than ever.

Finally i would be remiss if i did not laud Shoatz's feminist commitment to matriarchy and ecology as the way forward--a commitment that develops later in the book--as the book covers his writings over many decades. Crucially, he notes that matriarchy is not the mirror-image of patriarchy as far as, an oppression by women, but the undoing of all oppression and hierarchy. I loved his letter to young men.

A note to people who loved this book : there is an amazing album by spiritchild, called "maroon militant matriarch (mxn's mirror)" that embodies the spirit as well as the content of this book. I listened to it on repeat for a week or so after finishing the book, because i did not want the book's world to end for me. I'll be getting a hydra tattoo across my back. My only sadness is that the author died last December so that I can't tell him how much this book meant to me. I will cherish its lessons.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

🫡

Didn’t expect my favorite Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon review to come from here—using Hollywood movies to discuss political violence without getting censored by prison authorities is one of the coolest things any writer has ever done.

Spending time with a book like this, replete with wisdom and beauty and written under the most tortuously restrictive conditions of incarceration one can endure, is a more than a gift—it’s a small miracle. Rest in power Maroon.

[Sydney Brammer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging and important look at mass incarceration in the US through the eyes of Russell "Maroon" Shoatz.

[Luke Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of essays by a former black panther calling for a fundamental reshaping of society. If nothing else, its a testament to his mental fortitude afrer decades in the US penal system.