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Reckoning: Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Necessity of Social Movements
Examining the significance of the Movement for Black Lives, Reckoning uncovers a broadly applicable argument for the democratic necessity of social movements.
Barack Obama famously said that the purpose of social movements is to get a seat at the table. However, as Deva Woodly argues in Reckoning - a sweeping account of the meaning and purpose of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) - the value of such movements is something much more they are necessary for the health and survival of democracy. Drawing from on-the-ground interviews with activists in the movement, Woodly analyzes the emergence of the M4BL, its organizational structure and culture, and its strategies and tactics. She also shows how a unique political philosophy - Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism - served as an intellectual foundation of the movement and documents the role it played in transforming public meanings, public opinion, and policy. Interweaving theoretical and empirical observations throughout, Woodly provides both a unique portrait of the movement and a powerful explanation of the labor social movements do in democracy. A major work that speaks to both
scholars and activists, Woodly's account of the rise and spread of M4BL will reshape our understanding of why the movement is so important - and so necessary - for democracy.
Barack Obama famously said that the purpose of social movements is to get a seat at the table. However, as Deva Woodly argues in Reckoning - a sweeping account of the meaning and purpose of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) - the value of such movements is something much more they are necessary for the health and survival of democracy. Drawing from on-the-ground interviews with activists in the movement, Woodly analyzes the emergence of the M4BL, its organizational structure and culture, and its strategies and tactics. She also shows how a unique political philosophy - Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism - served as an intellectual foundation of the movement and documents the role it played in transforming public meanings, public opinion, and policy. Interweaving theoretical and empirical observations throughout, Woodly provides both a unique portrait of the movement and a powerful explanation of the labor social movements do in democracy. A major work that speaks to both
scholars and activists, Woodly's account of the rise and spread of M4BL will reshape our understanding of why the movement is so important - and so necessary - for democracy.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 26, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 27, 2021
Deva Woodly's Reckoning is, in a way, really two books in one volume. In the first, she describes the political philosophy of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), arguing that it is not a hodge podge, but coherent and distinct from other ideologies such as liberalism or socialism. In the second part, Woodly describes the theory of social movements generally and defends the practice of M4BL specifically.
Woodly names the political philosophy of M4BL "radical Black Feminist pragmatism" (RBFP). It comprises several components: radical imagination, Black Feminism, pragmatism, democracy, and a politics of care. The radicalism of RBFP is not violently revolutionary, but, per the etymology of the word, insistent on striking at the root of Black oppression. The radical imagination asks what Black flourishing would look like, given the world as it is. The latter part shows the contribution of the pragmatist element. RBFP is not utopian. Even the radical planks like prison and police abolition are, on close inspection, concerned about identifying the necessary steps toward a world where human beings are not caged and where the violent arms are not seen as necessary.
Black feminism insists on analyzing society from Black standpoints, particularly Black femme perspectives, Black queer perspectives, Black disabled perspectives, etc. This is the intersectional margin-to-center approach. Woodly argues the purpose of this is not to deny the universalism of human ethical demands, but to counter abstract universalism that defaults to the perspective of dominant groups. Where color-blind "neutrality" inevitably fails to "trickle down" the flourishing of the upper white male crust, the margin-to-center approach seeks to "effervesce up". If Black poor, the Black incarcerated, and Black trans persons are advancing in well-being, then other groups are quite likely to be doing tolerably well.
Woodly's politics of care takes a number of facets, including recognizing the collective trauma of group-based (in this case Black) oppression, "healing justice"—an orientation toward improving well-being—and accountability in opposition to punitive justice, emphasis on social and economic interdependence, and unapologetic Blackness and Black joy. She contrasts these with the dominant "neoliberal" paradigm that foregrounds individualism and often ignores the social dimensions of justice and welfare.
Woodly succeeds in making the case that RBFP is a distinctive political philosophy, even if you think—as I do—that the mainstream ideologies of socialism and liberalism are broad, adaptable, and accommodating. The second part of the book illustrates how these values are put into practice in the movement for Black lives with examples from movement leaders and campaigns, and discusses how these fit in with electoral politics and the Democratic party. These are especially important issues as the pragmatist thrust of M4BL demands democratic engagement, yet the risks of being a captive constituency are real and pressing. For Woodly, the key seems to be the long view of how the movement can expand what's "on the table" for political discussion, that is, what are live issues and what is politically possible.
Woodly excels at explaining often contentious concepts of M4BL in clarifying ways. And her book comes at an opportune moment when racial justice-curious white moderates seem to be retreating into "popularist" trenches, where the "common sense" political calculus dictates that foregrounding racial justice in political narratives is counterproductive and policies that might conspicuously advance Black well-being are simply unpopular with the voters who matter. This logic sits awkwardly with the advances, both narrative and substantive, that M4BL has made in the last decade, as well as with the entire history of Black liberation movements, which have only ever become popular after achieving their policy wins.
Woodly names the political philosophy of M4BL "radical Black Feminist pragmatism" (RBFP). It comprises several components: radical imagination, Black Feminism, pragmatism, democracy, and a politics of care. The radicalism of RBFP is not violently revolutionary, but, per the etymology of the word, insistent on striking at the root of Black oppression. The radical imagination asks what Black flourishing would look like, given the world as it is. The latter part shows the contribution of the pragmatist element. RBFP is not utopian. Even the radical planks like prison and police abolition are, on close inspection, concerned about identifying the necessary steps toward a world where human beings are not caged and where the violent arms are not seen as necessary.
Black feminism insists on analyzing society from Black standpoints, particularly Black femme perspectives, Black queer perspectives, Black disabled perspectives, etc. This is the intersectional margin-to-center approach. Woodly argues the purpose of this is not to deny the universalism of human ethical demands, but to counter abstract universalism that defaults to the perspective of dominant groups. Where color-blind "neutrality" inevitably fails to "trickle down" the flourishing of the upper white male crust, the margin-to-center approach seeks to "effervesce up". If Black poor, the Black incarcerated, and Black trans persons are advancing in well-being, then other groups are quite likely to be doing tolerably well.
Woodly's politics of care takes a number of facets, including recognizing the collective trauma of group-based (in this case Black) oppression, "healing justice"—an orientation toward improving well-being—and accountability in opposition to punitive justice, emphasis on social and economic interdependence, and unapologetic Blackness and Black joy. She contrasts these with the dominant "neoliberal" paradigm that foregrounds individualism and often ignores the social dimensions of justice and welfare.
Woodly succeeds in making the case that RBFP is a distinctive political philosophy, even if you think—as I do—that the mainstream ideologies of socialism and liberalism are broad, adaptable, and accommodating. The second part of the book illustrates how these values are put into practice in the movement for Black lives with examples from movement leaders and campaigns, and discusses how these fit in with electoral politics and the Democratic party. These are especially important issues as the pragmatist thrust of M4BL demands democratic engagement, yet the risks of being a captive constituency are real and pressing. For Woodly, the key seems to be the long view of how the movement can expand what's "on the table" for political discussion, that is, what are live issues and what is politically possible.
Woodly excels at explaining often contentious concepts of M4BL in clarifying ways. And her book comes at an opportune moment when racial justice-curious white moderates seem to be retreating into "popularist" trenches, where the "common sense" political calculus dictates that foregrounding racial justice in political narratives is counterproductive and policies that might conspicuously advance Black well-being are simply unpopular with the voters who matter. This logic sits awkwardly with the advances, both narrative and substantive, that M4BL has made in the last decade, as well as with the entire history of Black liberation movements, which have only ever become popular after achieving their policy wins.
April 29, 2023
The Movement for Black Lives is something everyone knows about, but few actually understand the inner workings and philosophies of the movement itself. This book explores what M4BL does, why they do it, and how influential it has been in the past decade. I don’t think anyone can truly understand how social movements function in a democracy until they read this book.
February 7, 2022
only read 4 chapters for school but i want to read the rest! it’s a great analysis of why social movements are a necessary element of democracy and the tactics used by the BLM movement
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews