New Bones Abolition and the Function of the Captive Maternal with Joy James

This is part one of a two-part discussion on two of Joy James' recent books. This part of the discussion is focused on New Bones Abolition: Captive Maternal Agency and the (After)Life of Erica Garner (Common Notions) as well as a recent essay How to Live (after we die): On Protest, Social Media, and queer Black death - Logos Journal by Isaiah Blake.

 

MAKC Host Josh Briond is joined by guest hosts Akua N and Noah Tesfaye for this conversation.

 

Joy James is the Ebenezer Fitch Professor of the Humanities at Williams College. A political philosopher who works with organizers seeking social justice and an end to militarism, James is the editor of The Angela Y. Davis Reader; Imprisoned Intellectuals; and co-editor of The Black Feminist Reader. James’s most recent books include:  In Pursuit of Revolutionary Love; New Bones Abolition: Captive Maternal Agency and the (After)Life of Erica Garner; and, Contextualizing Angela Davis: The Agency and Identity of an Icon. Her forthcoming volumes ENGAGE: Indigenous, Black, Afro-Indigenous Futures and Beyond Cop Cities will be published this summer and fall.

 

James' website and instagram page (@captivematernalstruggles) which we are using to update and archive talks, events, essays, etc. Please feel free to follow and tag us/post collab when the episode is live.

 

Isaiah Blake is an incoming PhD student in Geography at the University of California, Berkeley. As an artist, thinker, and educator, Blake is committed to producing work that prioritizes critical thinking combined with a devotion to Black ways of knowing and being. You can find Isaiah on IG.

 

Akua N is a Chicago-based doctoral student in education policy studies, exploring the intersection of mass media, counterinsurgency, white supremacy, and schooling in capitalist contexts.

 

Noah Tesfaye is a researcher and organizer based in the Bay Area. His work focuses on the political philosophy of the Republic of New Afrika and New Afrikan Independence Movement, particularly in its relationship to contemporary organizing around self-determination for Black people within the "United States." 

 

This episode is edited and produced by Aidan Elias

Links: 

 

Steinem Papers

 

Pendleton 2 (our episode with links on ways to support/connect)

 

Sekou Odinga & James at the Death Penalty Conference: 

This is the exchange Prof. James mentioned with the young Black activist and the panel. I have linked the video below with the time stamps

• The young activist question: (1:55:00)
• Baba Sekou's Response: (2:08:00)
• James' Response: (2:16:18)

How to Live (after we die): On Protest, Social Media, and queer Black death - Logos Journal

 

Slave Rebel or Citizen (Inquest)

 

Our roundtable on Kuwasi Balagoon

 

Links for Book Purchasing:

 

New Bones Abolition (2023)

 

Contextualizing Angela Davis (2024)

 

Beyond Cop Cities (August 2024)