Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt

In his book "Tip of the Spear," Oriasanmi Burton explores the Long Attica Revolt, a criminalized tradition of Black radicalism that propelled rebellions in New York prisons during the 1970s, and how state actors use violence, isolation, sexual terror, propaganda, reform, and white supremacist science and technology to eliminate Black resistance. He expands the state records beyond what other histories have relied on, drawing on oral history and Black radical theory to center the intellectual and political goals of the incarcerated people who led the struggle.

Format: Hardback
Length: 328 pages
Publication date: 31 October 2023
Publisher: University of California Press

In a groundbreaking reinterpretation of the revolutionary 1970s uprising known as Attica,Orisanmi Burton delves into the realm of hidden warfare within the borders of the United States. Through his book,Tip of the Spear,Burton explores the Long Attica Revolt,a criminalized tradition of Black radicalism that fueled rebellions in New York prisons during that era. The response to this revolt sheds light on what Burton refers to as prison pacification, a systematic strategy employed by state actors to suppress Black resistance both within and beyond prison walls.

Burton's approach goes beyond the state records traditionally relied upon to tell the story of Attica. He expands the archive by incorporating oral history and applying Black radical theory in ways that center the intellectual and political aspirations of the incarcerated individuals who spearheaded the struggle. Within the pages of Tip of the Spear, readers are treated to a wealth of little-known insights from the prison movement, the Black Panther Party, and the Black Liberation Army, all of which promise to reshape our understanding of prisons.

Burton challenges the conventional narratives that portray prisons as mere sites of race war, class war, counterinsurgency, and genocide. Instead, he presents them as sources of defiant Black life, revolutionary consciousness, and abolitionist possibility. Through his meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Burton invites readers to see prisons as spaces of resistance and transformation, where the incarcerated can forge connections, develop their ideas, and work towards a world beyond the confines of the prison system.

Tip of the Spear is a powerful and essential read for anyone interested in social justice, history, and the ongoing struggle against systemic oppression. It serves as a reminder that the fight for freedom and equality is not confined to the outside world but extends to the very institutions that are meant to contain and control us. By centering the voices and experiences of those who have been marginalized and oppressed, Burton offers a glimpse of hope and inspiration for a future where prisons are transformed into sites of liberation and healing.

Weight: 588g
Dimension: 236 x 160 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780520396319