Rebel Speak: A Justice Movement Mixtape

Rebel Speak is a literary mixtape of transformative dialogues on justice with a cast of visionary rebel activists, organizers, artists, culture workers, thought leaders, and movement builders. It investigates the motives that inspire and sustain movements for visionary change and exposes the crisis of prisons and policing in our communities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 19 April 2022
Publisher: University of California Press

Rebel Speak is a literary mixtape that delves into transformative dialogues on justice, featuring a diverse cast of visionary rebel activists, organizers, artists, culture workers, thought leaders, and movement builders. This powerful collection serves as a call to action for a global movement to end systemic injustice, led by the dedicated individuals who tirelessly work on the front lines in the prison capital of the world.

Prison activist, artist, and scholar Bryonn Rolly Bain presents us with transformative oral history ciphers, rooted in the tradition of call-and-response, that shed light on the struggles and sacrifices of those fighting to abolish the prison industrial complex. Rebel Speak investigates the motives that drive and sustain movements for visionary change, sparked by a life-changing interview with working-class heroes Dolores Huerta and Harry Belafonte.

Through engaging conversations with activists such as Albert Woodfox, founder of the first Black Panther Party prison chapter, and Susan Burton, founder of Los Angeles' A New Way of Life Reentry Project, Bryonn explores the crisis of prisons and policing in our communities. He also delves into unseen spaces of the movement, including conversations with a warden who is pushing beyond traditional practices at Sing Sing Correctional Facility and an intimate exchange with his brother who has recently returned from prison.

Bryonn's provocative sessions with influential artists and culture workers, including Public Enemy leader Chuck D and radical feminist MC Maya Jupiter, further amplify the discussions about the power of art and activism to build solidarity across disciplines and demand justice. Rebel Speak is a testament to the growing call for credible messengers who can inspire and propel meaningful change.

With raw insight and radical introspection, Rebel Speak embodies the spirit of the growing movement for justice and equality. It serves as a reminder that the fight for a better world is not just about headlines and protests, but about the everyday actions and sacrifices of those who are committed to building a more just and equitable society.

Weight: 588g
Dimension: 160 x 234 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520388437