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Revolution In These Times: Black Panther Party Veteran Dhoruba Bin Wahad on Antifascism, Black Liberation, and a Culture of Resistance
Lessons for the antifascist fight now and to come rooted in well-learned lessons from Black liberation.
Revolution In These Times delivers veteran Black Panther Party member, Black Liberation Army leader, and former political prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad direct in his own words to offer us an analysis of how today's resurgent right-wing agenda is an outgrowth of the ongoing and historical political struggle between the oppressed masses and settler-colonialism of America and Europe. Bin-Wahad not only explores how white supremacist politics have recaptured the American imagination but also prescribes a radical grassroots response to counter this ideology and supplant the violent state repression that keeps it in power.
Bin Wahad pieces together fight-back strategies against the police and the state through a process of mobilizing in the streets, on the block, and in our communities, while gathering mass through antifascist coalition-building in a manner unrealized since the 1960s and 1970s. In this series of interviews, Bin Wahad grounds us in the now, seamlessly weaving together firsthand accounts of his own and other’s revolutionary past in the history of struggle, alongside lessons for today.
Revolution In These Times delivers veteran Black Panther Party member, Black Liberation Army leader, and former political prisoner Dhoruba Bin Wahad direct in his own words to offer us an analysis of how today's resurgent right-wing agenda is an outgrowth of the ongoing and historical political struggle between the oppressed masses and settler-colonialism of America and Europe. Bin-Wahad not only explores how white supremacist politics have recaptured the American imagination but also prescribes a radical grassroots response to counter this ideology and supplant the violent state repression that keeps it in power.
Bin Wahad pieces together fight-back strategies against the police and the state through a process of mobilizing in the streets, on the block, and in our communities, while gathering mass through antifascist coalition-building in a manner unrealized since the 1960s and 1970s. In this series of interviews, Bin Wahad grounds us in the now, seamlessly weaving together firsthand accounts of his own and other’s revolutionary past in the history of struggle, alongside lessons for today.
- GenresNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published February 18, 2025
5 people are currently reading
162 people want to read
About the author
Dhoruba Bin Wahad
5 books8 followersDhoruba Bin Wahad was a leading member of the New York Black Panther Party, a Field Secretary of the BPP responsible for organizing chapters throughout the East Coast, and a member of the Panther 21. Arrested in June 1971, he was framed as part of the illegal FBI Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) and subjected to unfair treatment and torture during his nineteen years in prison. During Dhoruba’s incarceration, litigation on his behalf produced over 300,000 pages of COINTELPRO documentation, and upon release in 1990 he was able to bring a successful lawsuit against the New York Department of Corrections for their criminal activities. Living in both Ghana and the U.S., Dhoruba continues to write and work promoting Pan Africanism, an uncompromising critique of imperialism and capitalism, and freedom for all political prisoners.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 17, 2025
Firstly, this is not a book written by Dhoruba Bin Wahad, but a book of his conversations/interviews with Kalonji Jama Changa as editor. One of the challenges in books like this, is how does one maintain and master cohesion. Sadly, this one fall a bit short on that order. There are overlaps in the different conversations and the times of these discussions are not always clearly delineated, making for a difficult journey for the reader.
Some discussions are easy to determine the time stamp, because of the nature of the comments. For instance, Dhoruba takes umbrage with the slogan of Black Lives Matter. Well obviously that interview had to come after #blacklivesmatter entered into the public purview.
Also, historical moments are fleetingly talked about and a deeper exploration is missed that would undoubtedly be explored in a written version of Dhoruba’s thoughts. With that being said, this remains a book worthy of your time.
Some discussions are easy to determine the time stamp, because of the nature of the comments. For instance, Dhoruba takes umbrage with the slogan of Black Lives Matter. Well obviously that interview had to come after #blacklivesmatter entered into the public purview.
Also, historical moments are fleetingly talked about and a deeper exploration is missed that would undoubtedly be explored in a written version of Dhoruba’s thoughts. With that being said, this remains a book worthy of your time.
August 2, 2025
Book Review: Revolution In These Times: Black Panther Party Veteran Dhoruba Bin Wahad on Antifascism, Black Liberation, and a Culture of Resistance
Rating: 4.8/5
Dhoruba Bin Wahad and Kalonji Jama Changa’s Revolution In These Times is a seismic intervention in radical political thought that unexpectedly resonates with contemporary public health crises. This work bridges decades of Black liberation struggle with urgent lessons for today’s movements—including the often-overlooked intersections between systemic racism, state violence, and community health outcomes.
Strengths and Public Health Relevance
The book’s unflinching analysis of police violence as a public health emergency is particularly prescient. Bin Wahad’s firsthand accounts of state repression—including his 19 years as a political prisoner—reveal how carceral systems perpetuate trauma cycles that manifest as physical and mental health disparities in marginalized communities. His critique of hashtag activism challenges public health professionals to move beyond symbolic gestures toward structural interventions.
The discussion of the Black Panther Party’s community survival programs (like free breakfast initiatives and health clinics) offers a historical blueprint for addressing health inequities through grassroots action. These models demonstrate how anti-racist organizing can directly improve community health outcomes—a vital lesson as modern healthcare systems grapple with disparities in maternal mortality, chronic disease, and mental health access.
Constructive Criticism
While the book excels in political analysis, it could more explicitly connect its revolutionary framework to contemporary public health praxis. A deeper engagement with concepts like trauma-informed care or the social determinants of health would strengthen its relevance for health professionals (though I understand that wasn't the target audience here). The oral history format, while powerful, occasionally lacks the systematic structure that public health practitioners might expect.
Summary Takeaways:
-A revolutionary prescription for healing communities—where public health meets people’s power.
-From Panther free clinics to abolitionist healthcare: the untold history of health justice.
-Police violence is a preexisting condition—this book diagnoses the cure.
Final Thoughts
Revolution In These Times transcends political theory to offer vital insights for public health workers combating institutional racism. Its lessons about community-based care and the health impacts of state violence make it unexpectedly essential reading for anyone working at the intersection of health and social justice.
Thank you to the publisher Common Notions and Edelweiss for the free review copy. This visionary work earns a 4.8/5, challenging readers to reimagine health justice through the lens of liberation.
Key Public Health Takeaways:
-Structural Violence as Health Determinant: The book reframes police brutality and mass incarceration as root causes of health disparities.
-Community Care Models: Revives the Panther legacy of survival programs as prototypes for equitable health delivery.
-Trauma-Informed Organizing: Offers frameworks for addressing collective trauma in public health interventions.
For health professionals, this pairs powerfully with public health literature on racial trauma and community health worker models. Its call to “organize the block” mirrors modern place-based health initiatives—proving revolutionary thought can heal as well as transform.
Rating: 4.8/5
Dhoruba Bin Wahad and Kalonji Jama Changa’s Revolution In These Times is a seismic intervention in radical political thought that unexpectedly resonates with contemporary public health crises. This work bridges decades of Black liberation struggle with urgent lessons for today’s movements—including the often-overlooked intersections between systemic racism, state violence, and community health outcomes.
Strengths and Public Health Relevance
The book’s unflinching analysis of police violence as a public health emergency is particularly prescient. Bin Wahad’s firsthand accounts of state repression—including his 19 years as a political prisoner—reveal how carceral systems perpetuate trauma cycles that manifest as physical and mental health disparities in marginalized communities. His critique of hashtag activism challenges public health professionals to move beyond symbolic gestures toward structural interventions.
The discussion of the Black Panther Party’s community survival programs (like free breakfast initiatives and health clinics) offers a historical blueprint for addressing health inequities through grassroots action. These models demonstrate how anti-racist organizing can directly improve community health outcomes—a vital lesson as modern healthcare systems grapple with disparities in maternal mortality, chronic disease, and mental health access.
Constructive Criticism
While the book excels in political analysis, it could more explicitly connect its revolutionary framework to contemporary public health praxis. A deeper engagement with concepts like trauma-informed care or the social determinants of health would strengthen its relevance for health professionals (though I understand that wasn't the target audience here). The oral history format, while powerful, occasionally lacks the systematic structure that public health practitioners might expect.
Summary Takeaways:
-A revolutionary prescription for healing communities—where public health meets people’s power.
-From Panther free clinics to abolitionist healthcare: the untold history of health justice.
-Police violence is a preexisting condition—this book diagnoses the cure.
Final Thoughts
Revolution In These Times transcends political theory to offer vital insights for public health workers combating institutional racism. Its lessons about community-based care and the health impacts of state violence make it unexpectedly essential reading for anyone working at the intersection of health and social justice.
Thank you to the publisher Common Notions and Edelweiss for the free review copy. This visionary work earns a 4.8/5, challenging readers to reimagine health justice through the lens of liberation.
Key Public Health Takeaways:
-Structural Violence as Health Determinant: The book reframes police brutality and mass incarceration as root causes of health disparities.
-Community Care Models: Revives the Panther legacy of survival programs as prototypes for equitable health delivery.
-Trauma-Informed Organizing: Offers frameworks for addressing collective trauma in public health interventions.
For health professionals, this pairs powerfully with public health literature on racial trauma and community health worker models. Its call to “organize the block” mirrors modern place-based health initiatives—proving revolutionary thought can heal as well as transform.
December 5, 2025
Dhoruba bin Wahad's Revolution In These Times was refreshing to read in a time of so-called "hashtag movements." His experience as a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army was both informative and humanizing, especially considering the long-lasting effects of COINTELPRO. As a Black revolutionary living in occupied territory, he viewed himself as being in a continuous state of resistance against violent forms of oppression. This provides insight into his and the BLA's more militaristic tendencies, and it’s understandable why they chose to resist in this way. It's something I've had to wrestle with, as a revolutionary socialist with pacifist tendencies. Perhaps that's my privilege speaking. But never again will I critique the BLA as an inherently violent organization because white supremacy IS violent, and how do you peacefully resist against a violent system? I'm not advocating for violence; rather, it's a thought-provoking question I've been reflecting on since the genocide in Palestine began.
Dhoruba also presented compelling critiques of the recent Black Lives Matter movement, highlighting its counter-revolutionary tactics and methods. As someone who supported and still supports the movement and its goals, it was helpful to hear the perspective(s) of former revolutionaries who organized and fought alongside Fred Hampton and Assata Shakur.
I also appreciate how Revolution In These Times purposefully highlights and gives its flowers to Black revolutionaries who aren't well known. For instance, while Assata is a popular revolutionary, little is known about Sundiata Acoli, who was in the car with her on that fateful night. Or folks know Fred Hampton, but don't know Mark Clark, who was killed instantly when the feds breached the apartment.
Dhoruba bin Wahad stands out as a powerful voice of conscience and resilience...a voice that needs to be heard in a time when revolution and resistance are needed.
Dhoruba also presented compelling critiques of the recent Black Lives Matter movement, highlighting its counter-revolutionary tactics and methods. As someone who supported and still supports the movement and its goals, it was helpful to hear the perspective(s) of former revolutionaries who organized and fought alongside Fred Hampton and Assata Shakur.
I also appreciate how Revolution In These Times purposefully highlights and gives its flowers to Black revolutionaries who aren't well known. For instance, while Assata is a popular revolutionary, little is known about Sundiata Acoli, who was in the car with her on that fateful night. Or folks know Fred Hampton, but don't know Mark Clark, who was killed instantly when the feds breached the apartment.
Dhoruba bin Wahad stands out as a powerful voice of conscience and resilience...a voice that needs to be heard in a time when revolution and resistance are needed.
September 4, 2025
Every young revolutionary should read this book. Full stop.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews