The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice: Black Lives, Healing, and US Social Transformation

by Fania Davis

Racial Justice and Restorative Justice Working Together to Transform the Black Experience in America



This timely work will inform scholars and practitioners on the subjects of pervasive racial inequity and the healing offered by restorative justice practices. Addressing the intersectionality of race and the US criminal justice system, social activist Fania Davis explores how restorative justice has the capacity to disrupt patterns of mass incarceration through effective, equitable, and transformative approaches. Eager to break the still-pervasive, centuries-long cycles of racial prejudice and trauma in America, Davis unites the racial justice and restorative justice movements, aspiring to increase awareness of deep-seated problems as well as positive action toward change.



In The Little Book of Race and Restorative Justice, Davis highlights real restorative justice initiatives that function from a racial justice perspective; these programs are utilized in schools, justice systems, and communities, intentionally seeking to ameliorate racial disparities and systemic inequities. Furthermore, she looks at initiatives that strive to address the historical harms against African Americans throughout the nation. This newest addition the Justice and Peacebuilding series is a much needed and long overdue examination of the issue of race in America as well as a beacon of hope as we learn to work together to repair damage, change perspectives, and strive to do better.

Genres: Nonfiction, Social Justice, Race, Education, Politics, Social Issues, Academic

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2019

Reviews

[Rose Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of little books is excellent. In the flurry of antiracist literature coming to the forefront in recent years, it's helpful to have short books that concisely sum up important points. While this book did that, it also put new words to restorative justice and the way it's often presented as being at odds with racial justice. I particularly appreciated Davis's explanation of how restorative justice challenges our Western conception of justice and how she deconstructed the warrior/healer binary.

[Joe Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fania Davis is a gentlewoman and a scholar, not to mention a dedicated activist that has spoken truth to power for decades. Her work here is little in page length but large in conceptual scope, and she tackles heavy topics such as mass incarceration, police terror, and school violence with stunning grace. She writes for everyone, but students of restorative justice stand to gain the most as they incorporate an anti-racist approach.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information but written like a 96 page journal article, it is a bit dry to read (with the exception of the beginning story). I also wish there was more focus on the restorative justice aspect and steps to get there, as these are only briefly reviewed in the last two chapters.

[Kathyana Carvajal · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Challenge yourself to be a healer and activist for justice. Don't feel you have to choose one or the other. Be both. See activism as a form of social healing and interpersonal healing as a form of social justice"

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must-read and necessary intervention for anyone interested in restorative justice processes.

[Cierra Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for any RJ Practitioner or anyone interested in Restorative Justice/Practices. I was so inspired and activated to do this work and be the warrior and healer that I need to be!

5 ⭐️

[Chase · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview of the concepts of restorative justice.

[Claire Summers · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The idea of presence means being present as someone people can turn to when harm occurs so that it is not necessary to turn to the state."

"Independence is inseparable from interdependence."

Wow. I cannot express strongly enough how accurately this book captured and summed up my worldview. From its premise that we can -- and must -- be both warriors and healers, to its description of the need for healing strategies AND political strategies, healthy relationships AND changing social structures, this book explores the duality of interest inherent in what I consider to be truly restorative justice. I can't wait to read this little book again and again.

[treens · Rating 4 out of 5]

very helpful introductory read - one of my favorite lines was essentially "there is no capitalism in America without slavery". puts why our current system needs to be upended into perspective.

[Molly Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was PACKED to the brim with info. Spanning only 96 pages this book explains in tremendous detail the need for racial consciousness inside the restorative justice movement. Davis outlines the differences between individual, institutional, and systemic racism and shows us how to work to dismantle each one. She talks in depth about mass incarceration and police violence against Black and brown folks and how restorative justice looks on a national level. She not only explains these concepts, but gives us concrete steps and actions to take to make things happen in different spheres. This is a fundamental read for anyone (esp. white people!) who wants to do prison activism/abolition activism/RJ/TJ work. I wouldn’t suggest this as a beginner read to introduce RJ as a concept, though, as it assumes a level of familiarity.
5/5⭐️

[Drick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In t his little book Fania Davis brings together racial justice and restorative justice. She makes the case that any authentic effort at restorative justice in the US must be focused on racial justice. After discussing her own journey from activist to restorative justice advocate, the basic principles of restorative justice and the basic elements of racial justice, she then applies those insights to RJ in schools, the criminal justice system and police violence against people of color. While her words are direct and challenging, they are also filled with hope. This is a valuable addition to restorative justice literature.

[Ceci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding books that are concise, easy to read and under 300 pages is hard. To find a book that is 100 pages or so, packed full of information and is a great conversation starter in restorative justice is so rare. I've fallen in love with the little books of... publisher. The books are affordable and can be bought for even cheaper in bulk. Loved it! Davis is brilliant and her and her sister are minds that are sacred to the resistance. Please read this if you can. Highly recommended. It definitely made me want to further this discussion and i can't wait to have my book club going so i can share and exchange ideas about his book with my peers.

[Sara Pantazes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to the concept of restorative justice, but this "little book" seems like the perfect introduction. I appreciate how the author took care to describe her life history and the context she brings to this idea, especially at the end when she addresses how her understanding has evolved over time.

The idea and framework of restorative justice is highly intriguing to me, and this book explained it in an easy to digest way. She provided a couple specific contexts (criminal justice system, education, police violence) where it has and/or could be applied to bring about change. Lots to think about and I'm sure I'll return to this book as I continue learning.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My one critique, which really is my own fault for not researching, was that I don’t actually know what restorative justice is. I thought i would learn that in this book, but this book builds upon the assumption the reader already knows what the process is. But i knew enough to get the point and when i read a book that breaks down what restorative justice is for me, ill have Davis’s inputs already! She makes a very convincing argument that restorative justice should include racial justice, particularly in how the systems of justice are viewed.

[Terry Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of hope, which is desperately needed in these times. This isn’t a false hope based in naivety, but a soul stirring hope that uses previous practice and current momentum to allow us to dream of something better for our nation. The chapter on Imagining a Truth Process for Police Violence was particularly energizing, offering how we might end the white supremacist system of state sanctioned violence and mass incarceration, and create something new and just. Also it’s pretty cool that the author, Fania Davis, is Angela Davis’s sister!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent primer on restorative justice by one of the super-stars of the movement. This is a must-read for folks who want to move beyond the cycle of arrest, conviction, incarceration, recidivism into a holistic attempt to address the experiences of both victims and the people who harm them, with the goal of reducing violence across the board. This approach shows the ways for people who value Black lives to implement a program of harm reduction for everyone in our communities. Harmed people harm people - healed people heal people.

[Matt Sautman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by Angela Davis’s younger sister, I found the memoir sections of this book fascinating as they further flesh out Angela’s life story presented in her own An Autobiography. Much of the work on the intersection between anti-racist direct action and restorative practice will ring familiar with anyone who has spent substantial time reading and thinking about anti-Black social structures, but the accessibility of this book enables this volume to be altogether transformative for readers less versed in these topics.

[Rick Pereira · Rating 5 out of 5]

"RJ is also a *proactive* relational strategy to create a culture of connectivity where all members of a community thrive and feel valued."

*Proactive: this implies use of restorative justice tools beyond scenarios of harm already done; they are useful in a preventative, or perhaps healing and growing, capacity precisely because it is the collective point of view that heals. Healing from harm is intimately tied to building a world where division, domination, and duality are seen for the exaggerated false dichotomies they are.

The book is a good guide to approaching restorative justice holistically. It reinforces a lot of ideas I bring to RJ from social justice, that all issues of oppression are fundamentally connected by a common vein of disconnection, polarization, and exclusion. These are easy to see when they are identifiable organizations and movements (like slavery, fascism) but also so easy to remain aloof to within ourselves. Davis does a good job of illustrating how and why the journey to societal healing lies within ourselves, as an intimate journey of self-confession and growth so as to be able to show others the way, in healing rather than divisive ways.

[Victoria Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good! I definitely found her focus on restorative justice to be persuasive. I believe that this is a healthier model for we should treat and prevent crimes.
But I also wish I could pick her brain... What happens when a person commits mass scale crime? When more than a few people are affected by someone's actions?


This is my constant cognitive dissonance, so has more to do with me than Fania Davis.

[Allyson McCreery Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small text from Fania Davis was fantastic. As a practitioner and scholar in the field of conflict resolution, I appreciated her honest reflection of the faults and oversights of restorative justices practices and other related actions. Her call to action, historical examples, and discussion regarding the intersections of racial and restorative justice were particularly enlightening.

[Lisa Keuss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Davis gives an overview of how the truth-telling of racial justice and the reconciliation of restorative practices are both necessary for addressing harms inflicted in schools, prisons, and by police. There are many important big ideas here, but not a lot of the "how to" when it comes to the actual practices.

[Joann Schatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

How this book was so concise and SO packed with information yet extremely easy to read in just 96 pages I will never understand. It was clear, impactful, informative, and still filled to the brim with beautiful analogies and helpful context in order to take all the critical theory and understand how it can be applied in real life examples. I really loved this book and can't wait to re-read it.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by Angela Davis’s sister, Race and Restorative Justice is a great gloss on critical race theory and restorative Justice. It covers race and restorative justice in education, mass incarceration, and police violence and points out ways we can move the needle on restorative justice in these areas.

[Dhanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5-- it was refreshing to read about restorative justice and be given examples of successful practices of restorative justice in different context. it's a beautiful concept and would go a long way to reduce america's distasteful percentage of incarceration. i'm not bought into the spiritual nature of it all, but practically, i'm on board with not resolving harm with further harm.

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always interested to learn more about RJ from different points of view. This was done well with a combination of storytelling, historical facts, and personal opinion of what to do in the future. I almost wish it was longer so she could go more into detail, but that would dissuade people from reading it and it should be read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read and a helpful overview of restorative justice practices and how they can be applied in movements for racial justice in the United States. A hopeful and practical guide for a better and more just future for all communities.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is very interesting as an introduction to the philosophy of combining racial justice work with restorative justice work. However, if you are looking for a practical primer of how to implement such a program, this is NOT that book.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical analysis of the current systemic issues around race in the US. I was hoping for a little more direct action for the section on social transformation, but for now, I'll do what I can and lobby our elected officials to make the changes indicated in the text.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick easy read but thought provoking, inspiring, informative.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that it was on topic, purposeful and provided a guide for practical strategies for societal healing. Very thought provoking.