Lessons in Liberation: An Abolitionist Toolkit for Educators

by The Education for Liberation Network & Critical Resistance Editorial Collective, Bettina L. Love (Contributor), Mariame Kaba (Contributor)

Born from sustained organizing, and rooted in Black and women of color feminisms, disability justice, and other movements, abolition calls for an end to our reliance on imprisonment, policing and surveillance, and to imagine a safer future for our communities.

Lessons in An Abolitionist Toolkit for Educators offers entry points to build critical and intentional bridges between educational practice and the growing movement for abolition. Designed for educators, parents, and young people, this toolkit shines a light on innovative abolitionist projects, particularly in Pre-K–12 learning contexts.

Sections are dedicated to entry points into Prison Industrial Complex abolition and education; the application of the lessons and principles of abolition; and stories about growing abolition outside of school settings. Topics addressed throughout include student organizing, immigrant justice in the face of ICE, approaches to sex education, arts-based curriculum, and building abolitionist skills and thinking in lesson plans.

The result of patient and urgent work, and more than five years in the making, Lessons in Liberation invites educators into the work of abolition.

Contributors include Black Organizing Project, Chicago Women’s Health Center, Mariame Kaba and Project NIA, Bettina L. Love, the MILPA Collective, and artists from the Justseeds Collective, among others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Education, Politics, Social Justice, Teaching, Race, Sociology

536 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2021

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read anthologies put out by AK Press, you'll know that the editorial tendency can seem to be rooted in a fear of leaving anything out. That happens at all levels, from individual sentences to the number of pieces included. I can understand the political prerogative to grant extensive autonomy to authors or project collectives, but the result, quite frequently, is redundancy. Lessons in Liberation is no exception. As a way to understand the current ethos of abolitionist educators, then, it's quite effective, but as a 'toolkit' it requires the reader to really dig through to find the useful tools to take back out into the world.
Also, for those who engage in training and teaching outside of the typical institutional context, know that the book is extremely focused on teaching in schools, school disciplinary systems, etc. There is lots that might be taken and extrapolated from for application to other learning contexts but again, this will take some digging and a little work.
All that said: if you're new to the movement for abolition and you do teach in schools, this could be a tremendously helpful anthology to take some time with.

[Alisun Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't say enough good things about this collection of abolition essays, art, and poetry. The genius of the book is its accessibility. It achieves the perfect blend of theory, pedagogy, and practice. It is truly a toolkit with some of the chapters written in lesson plan format for working with youth or groups of teachers.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rly liked this! Though there was a lot of fluffy language that I felt was unhelpful and not specific enough. I wouldn’t totally recommend for learning about abolition for the first time, but I got a lot of good tools that I will use!

[Giulia Goldston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has quite a few really great essays in it. I'd recommend them. There are others I skimmed, but overall a good read, often about the nuts and bolts of being abolitionist educator.

3.5/5

[Abby Rubin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great workbook for anyone who interacts with kids. While I don't create lesson plans, I am excited to use these strategies with the young folks I work with. I am trying to work more through an abolitionist lens and this is a helpful way to start that. Great framing and suggestions.