Author Biography

Derecka Purnell is a human rights lawyer, writer, and organizer. She received her JD from Harvard Law School, and works to end police and prison violence by providing legal assistance, research, and training to community-based organizations through an abolitionist framework. Her work and writing has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, the Boston Globe and many other publications. Derecka is currently a columnist at the Guardian.

Review

"Becoming Abolitionists by Derecka Purnell, blew me away with its compassion, introspection, research, stories and clear sighted case for abolishing our criminal punishment system and radically reconstructing our society to address the root causes of harm and violence."
—Ibram X. Kendi, bestselling author of How To Be An Antiracist

"Wherever we are on our abolitionist journey—whether an experienced organizer or freshly on the path—there is something to take away from Purnell's powerful story, even something as intangible as hope."
—Sophia Ramirez, PEN America

"An enlightening and inspiring book about a bold idea with great potential to change society."
—Seattle Book Review

"Becoming Abolitionists provides a blueprint for each of us to begin to run, dream, and experiment toward a just and livable future."
—The Nation

"This book will open up your sociopolitical imagination and leave you optimistic about what is possible when we commit to safety for all."
—Brea Baker, Elle.com

"An informed, provocative, astute consideration of salvific alternatives to contemporary policing and imprisonment." 
—Starred Review, Kirkus

"Part memoir, part essay, and part argument, Becoming Abolitionists is an organizing tool itself, inviting in skeptics and offering a bridge to committed activists in other movements."
—Lyra Walsh Fuchs, Dissent

"Far from avoiding the tough questions, Purnell dives in headfirst. Drawing from history, she deftly connects the roots of violence to the racial and economic hierarchies police are charged with maintaining, arguing that precarity cannot be eradicated by the people who are paid to protect it. Becoming Abolitionists is ultimately about the importance of asking questions and our ability to create answers. And in the end, Purnell makes it clear that abolition is a labor of love—one that we can accomplish together if only we decide to."
—Nia Evans, Boston Review

"Drawing upon a Black radical tradition of social movements, Becoming Abolitionists reveals the power of self-study, collective political education, and resistance to reform efforts to inspire a new generation of activists. Purnell offers a persuasive and warm invitation to us all to deliver on the promise
and potential of abolition."
—Aida Mariam Davis, Stanford Social Innovation Review

"[Purnell] draws convincing parallels between the past and the present to demonstrate that today's policing systems are vestiges of this oppressive framework ... She is in such command of her material [that] even if you disagree with her, you are compelled to listen."
—The Guardian (UK)

"Through deft historical research, political analysis, and gutting prose, the book uses a variety of approaches to map Purnell's complex and fulfilling political evolution."
—The Cut

"Part memoir, part political and social commentary, the St. Louis native's genre-bending book demonstrates her road to adopting abolitionist politics and makes the argument for why the new abolitionism — the push to end prisons and policing in the United States — ought to be the future of the country."
—Kovie Biakolo, Essence

"Blending trenchant social critique with intimate stories from her own upbringing, Purnell's text marks a necessary installment in the larger tradition of abolitionist writing." 
—Dean Spade, them.us

"Bold and utopian, yet grounded in Purnell's experiences and copious evidence of how reform efforts have fallen short, this is an inspiring introduction to a hot-button topic."
—Publishers Weekly

"Packed with glimmering moments of poetic clarity and power. Purnell has gifted us a book that is engaging, textually rich, clear in voice, driven, even paced, astutely researched, necessary and damn good. A must read."
—Darnell Moore, author of No Ashes in the Fire

"[For Derecka], abolition isn't just about taking away the institutions that give people an illusion that everyone is being kept safe when they're actually not – it's about building new structures that remove the need for these violent and oppressive systems to begin with."
—Tayo Bero, The Guardian

"Becoming Abolitionists received a starred Kirkus review for its insight into the problematic nature of policing, including constitutional policing—that which upholds the U.S. Constitution and individual civil rights. Purnell highlights her evolution from cop-caller to abolitionist and dissects the violence in policing culture." 
—Nia Norris, Kirkus Reviews

"While her narrative is densely fact-packed throughout, Purnell is able to deftly lead the reader through the ins and outs of the abolitionist mindset so that it is clear and comprehensible for all, including those who, like her, might be initially skeptical."
—Booklist

"It's been amazing having you here, and your book is twice as amazing as the conversation because you can have it for so much longer."
—Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

"With deep insight and moral clarity, Purnell shares her compelling journey of political education and personal transformation, inviting us not only to imagine a world without police, but to muster the courage to fight for the more just world we know is possible. Becoming Abolitionists is essential reading for our times." 
—Michelle Alexander, bestselling author of The New Jim Crow

"Becoming Abolitionists is part memoir & part manifesto for our times. Beautifully written, the book takes the reader on a personal journey from the Midwest to South Africa with a pit stop in New England. As a member of the 'Trayvon Generation,' Derecka offers us invaluable insights into how young activists are navigating and challenging current injustices. If you've been curious about the modern abolitionist movement, this book is a must read!"
—Mariame Kaba, bestselling author of We Do This Til We Free Us

"At once specific and sweeping, practical and visionary, Becoming Abolitionists is a triumph of political imagination and a tremendous gift to all movements struggling towards liberation. Do not miss its brilliance!"
—Naomi Klein, bestselling author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything

"Derecka Purnell has one of the most exciting minds of a generation, and Becoming Abolitionists gives us all an excuse to praise her. This book is an explosion of deep intellect matched with great love, showing a journey toward radical politics that embraces the messiness. Derecka does not expect we all wake up and become abolitionists immediately--it didn't happen that way for her--but by showing both her intellectual and emotional path toward abolitionist thinking, she provides a roadmap that is also compassionate to those moving in a slower lane. But with an argument rooted in history, criticism guided by deep care, and writing that pulses with urgency, Becoming Abolitionists will convince you that is exactly what we all need to do before you even put the book down."
—Mychal Denzel Smith, bestselling author of Invisible Man Got The Whole World Watching and Stakes Is High

"Derecka Purnell's writing is freeing and draws you. Becoming Abolitionists is a beautiful invitation to understand what is possible if we commit to unlearning our dependence on police and address the underlying injustices that cause harm in our communities. This is the book we have been waiting for and knew we needed to advance abolitionist efforts. Purnell is the abolitionist writer of her generation." 
—Bettina Love, author of Abolitionist Teaching

"One of the most perceptive and passionate thinkers of any generation, Derecka Purnell, has written a genuinely revolutionary text for our times—one that resists easy answers or solutions and never shies from the hard questions. She proves that abolition is not an event or a utopian dreamstate, but rather a journey of assembly struggling to create new worlds of freedom as we fight the unfree world we inhabit. Beautifully written, passionate, honest, Becoming Abolitionists charts a journey we all must take if we plan to survive, let alone live together."
—Robin D.G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination

"With the elegant prose of a gifted storyteller, the acumen of a seasoned organizer, and the sharp-edged wit of a radical legal scholar, Purnell takes us on the powerful journey to police abolition in her new book, Becoming Abolitionists. It is a must read for anyone serious about understanding this moment, and the ongoing Black freedom movement." 
—Barbara Ransby author of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement

"In this moving and mind-expanding meditation on the nature and possibility of justice, Derecka Purnell—a self-professed member of the 'Trayvon generation'—traces her personal journey from her hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri to the frontlines of a global movement against racism and police brutality. A true philosopher, Purnell gleans wisdom at every opportunity, studying and struggling whether she's in a law school seminar or protesting in the street, in a courtroom defending a client or visiting a nail salon. Being radical, this wonderful book reminds us, doesn't mean having all of the answers—it means constantly questioning, listening, learning, and being willing to reassess and grow.  Becoming Abolitionists brilliantly lays out the connections between policing and other forms of oppression and shows why even well-meaning "reforms" won't get us where we need to go. This profound, urgent, beautiful, and necessary book is an invitation to imagine and organize for a less violent and more liberatory world. Everyone should read it." 
—Astra Taylor, author of Democracy May Not Exist but We'll Miss It When It's Gone

"For those skeptics of abolition, this brilliant, revolutionary book will take you on a breathtaking journey to the other side. As Derecka makes clear, abolition is not just about firing cops and closing prisons; it's about eliminating the reasons people think they need them. If you read any book this year – read this. It's a radiant and practical blueprint for the new world." 
—V (formerly Eve Ensler) author of The Vagina Monologues and The Apology

"Becoming Abolitionists is a vital resource for anyone committed to the struggle for social justice, written by one of the sharpest and most inspiring voices to emerge in a generation. Taking readers on a journey from her childhood in St. Louis to the protests in Ferguson, the halls of Harvard, the streets of Soweto and beyond, Derecka Purnell's heart-rendering analysis gives us the tools to envision a new society with endless possibilities. Even more, Purnell's extraordinary blend of personal memoir, history, and critical theory provides a roadmap to build a safer and more just world. Like the Autobiography of Angela Davis, Becoming Abolitionists is sure to remain an essential text for decades to come."
—Elizabeth Hinton, author of America on Fire and From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime

"An extraordinary, wonderful, insightful, and immensely generative book that makes the case for abolitionist thinking, amplifying the self-activity of the masses already in motion, and at the same time providing a thoroughly absorbing and captivating description of the author's own journey. Rather than encouraging each of us to brand ourselves as radical, Purnell points us toward the collaborative acts of co-creation and accompaniment that can make revolutionary change possible. She incorporates decoloniality, feminism, Indigeneity, environmental justice, and disability activism organically into her critiques and solutions. One of the most exciting, inspiring, and enlightening books I have read in a long time."
—George Lipsitz, author of The Possessive Investment in Whiteness

"Derecka's book provides a front row seat to how a generation of young people have been radicalized by a series of contradictions living within the heart of global empire: the United States. She explains, with powerful stories and brilliant analysis, how she has committed herself to abolition in the context of ongoing collective study and struggle. The abolition she discusses is anti-capitalist and anti-colonialist, committed to racial, economic, and gender justice. A call to not simply tear down prisons and police, but to build a society where our collective needs prevail over profit and punishment. This book is more than a front row seat, it is an invitation to join the most important movement of our time." 
—Amna Akbar, Professor of Law, The Ohio State University

"Purnell is undoubtedly one of the most important writers and activists of our generation, offering us a vivid, moving and compelling book for anyone interested in one of the most urgent issues of our times. Purnell weaves experiences of racism and resistance to articulate a blistering critique of racial capitalism, state power and imperialism, taking readers on a journey towards the radical alternatives to police and prisons which have shaped Black political movements in the 21st century." 
—Adam Elliott-Cooper, author of Black Resistance to British Policing

"At once an account of the life and education of an already extraordinary young life and a sharp and searching effort to remake our society in the image of abolition democracy and the movement that began in Ferguson, this book is, in the end, more than a book. It is an act of radical love."
—Walter Johnson, award-winning author of The Broken Heart of America and Soul By Soul

"Becoming Abolitionists is a wise and passionate argument for the urgency of first responders without guns. Purnell takes on the hardest questions with analytical rigor and common sense. This is abolition for the people."
—Paul Butler, MSNBC Legal Analyst and Author, Chokehold: Policing Black Men

Review Quote

"An informed, provocative, astute consideration of salvific alternatives to contemporary policing and imprisonment." --Starred Review, Kirkus "Part memoir, part essay, and part argument, Becoming Abolitionists is an organizing tool itself, inviting in skeptics and offering a bridge to committed activists in other movements." --Lyra Walsh Fuchs, Dissent "Far from avoiding the tough questions, Purnell dives in headfirst. Drawing from history, she deftly connects the roots of violence to the racial and economic hierarchies police are charged with maintaining, arguing that precarity cannot be eradicated by the people who are paid to protect it. Becoming Abolitionists is ultimately about the importance of asking questions and our ability to create answers. And in the end, Purnell makes it clear that abolition is a labor of love--one that we can accomplish together if only we decide to." --Nia Evans, Boston Review "Drawing upon a Black radical tradition of social movements, Becoming Abolitionists reveals the power of self-study, collective political education, and resistance to reform efforts to inspire a new generation of activists. Purnell offers a persuasive and warm invitation to us all to deliver on the promise and potential of abolition." --Aida Mariam Davis, Stanford Social Innovation Review "[Purnell] draws convincing parallels between the past and the present to demonstrate that today''s policing systems are vestiges of this oppressive framework ... She is in such command of her material [that] even if you disagree with her, you are compelled to listen." --The Guardian (UK) "Through deft historical research, political analysis, and gutting prose, the book uses a variety of approaches to map Purnell''s complex and fulfilling political evolution." -- The Cut "Part memoir, part political and social commentary, the St. Louis native''s genre-bending book demonstrates her road to adopting abolitionist politics and makes the argument for why the new abolitionism -- the push to end prisons and policing in the United States -- ought to be the future of the country." --Kovie Biakolo, Essence "Bold and utopian, yet grounded in Purnell''s experiences and copious evidence of how reform efforts have fallen short, this is an inspiring introduction to a hot-button topic." -- Publishers Weekly "Packed with glimmering moments of poetic clarity and power. Purnell has gifted us a book that is engaging, textually rich, clear in voice, driven, even paced, astutely researched, necessary and damn good. A must read." --Darnell Moore, author of No Ashes in the Fire "[For Derecka], abolition isn''t just about taking away the institutions that give people an illusion that everyone is being kept safe when they''re actually not - it''s about building new structures that remove the need for these violent and oppressive systems to begin with." --Tayo Bero, The Guardian " Becoming Abolitionists received a starred Kirkus review for its insight into the problematic nature of policing, including constitutional policing--that which upholds the U.S. Constitution and individual civil rights. Purnell highlights her evolution from cop-caller to abolitionist and dissects the violence in policing culture." --Nia Norris, Kirkus Reviews "While her narrative is densely fact-packed throughout, Purnell is able to deftly lead the reader through the ins and outs of the abolitionist mindset so that it is clear and comprehensible for all, including those who, like her, might be initially skeptical." --Booklist "It''s been amazing having you here, and your book is twice as amazing as the conversation because you can have it for so much longer." --Trevor Noah, The Daily Show "With deep insight and moral clarity, Purnell shares her compelling journey of political education and personal transformation, inviting us not only to imagine a world without police, but to muster the courage to fight for the more just world we know is possible. Becoming Abolitionists is essential reading for our times." --Michelle Alexander, bestselling author of The New Jim Crow " Becoming Abolitionists is part memoir & part manifesto for our times. Beautifully written, the book takes the reader on a personal journey from the Midwest to South Africa with a pit stop in New England. As a member of the ''Trayvon Generation,'' Derecka offers us invaluable insights into how young activists are navigating and challenging current injustices. If you''ve been curious about the modern abolitionist movement, this book is a must read!" --Mariame Kaba, bestselling author of We Do This Til We Free Us "At once specific and sweeping, practical and visionary, Becoming Abolitionists is a triumph of political imagination and a tremendous gift to all movements struggling towards liberation. Do not miss its brilliance!" --Naomi Klein, bestselling author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything "Derecka Purnell has one of the most exciting minds of a generation, and Becoming Abolitionists gives us all an excuse to praise her. This book is an explosion of deep intellect matched with great love, showing a journey toward radical politics that embraces the messiness. Derecka does not expect we all wake up and become abolitionists immediately--it didn''t happen that way for her--but by showing both her intellectual and emotional path toward abolitionist thinking, she provides a roadmap that is also compassionate to those moving in a slower lane. But with an argument rooted in history, criticism guided by deep care, and writing that pulses with urgency, Becoming Abolitionists will convince you that is exactly what we all need to do before you even put the book down." --Mychal Denzel Smith, bestselling author of Invisible Man Got The Whole World Watching and Stakes Is High "Derecka Purnell''s writing is freeing and draws you. Becoming Abolitionists is a beautiful invitation to understand what is possible if we commit to unlearning our dependence on police and address the underlying injustices that cause harm in our communities. This is the book we have been waiting for and knew we needed to advance abolitionist efforts. Purnell is the abolitionist writer of her generation." --Bettina Love, author of Abolitionist Teaching "One of the most perceptive and passionate thinkers of any generation, Derecka Purnell, has written a genuinely revolutionary text for our times--one that resists easy answers or solutions and never shies from the hard questions. She proves that abolition is not an event or a utopian dreamstate, but rather a journey of assembly struggling to create new worlds of freedom as we fight the unfree world we inhabit. Beautifully written, passionate, honest, Becoming Abolitionists charts a journey we all must take if we plan to survive, let alone live together." --Robin D.G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams: The Black Radical Imagination "With the elegant prose of a gifted storyteller, the acumen of a seasoned organizer, and the sharp-edged wit of a radical legal scholar, Purnell takes us on the powerful journey to police abolition in her new book, Becoming Abolitionists . It is a must read for anyone serious about understanding this moment, and the ongoing Black freedom movement." --Barbara Ransby author of Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement "In this moving and mind-expanding meditation on the nature and possibility of justice, Derecka Purnell--a self-professed member of the ''Trayvon generation''--traces her personal journey from her hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri to the frontlines of a global movement against racism and police brutality. A true philosopher, Purnell gleans wisdom at every opportunity, studying and struggling whether she''s in a law school seminar or protesting in the street, in a courtroom defending a client or visiting a nail salon. Being radical, this wonderful book reminds us, doesn''t mean having all of the answers--it means constantly questioning, listening, learning, and being willing to reassess and grow. Becoming Abolitionists brilliantly lays out the connections between policing and other forms of oppression and shows why even well-meaning "reforms" won''t get us where we need to go. This profound, urgent, beautiful, and necessary book is an invitation to imagine and organize for a less violent and more liberatory world. Everyone should read it." --Astra Taylor, author of Democracy May Not Exist but We''ll Miss It When It''s Gone "For those skeptics of abolition, this brilliant, revolutionary book will take you on a breathtaking journey to the other side. As Derecka makes clear, abolition is not just about firing cops and closing prisons; it''s about eliminating the reasons people think they need them. If you read any book this year - read this. It''s a radiant and practical blueprint for the new world." --V (formerly Eve Ensler) author of The Vagina Monologues and The Apology "Becoming Abo

Excerpt from Book

WE CALLED 911 for almost everything--except snitching. Nosebleeds, gunshot wounds, asthma attacks, allergic reactions. Police accompanied the paramedics. Our neighborhood was making us sick. From 1990 until 2006, my family moved among four apartments in a modest complex called Hickory Square. It was located at the edge of the Gate District between Jefferson and Ohio in St. Louis. A Praxair industrial gas-storage facility was at one end of my block. I had no idea what it was until one year, gas tanks exploded one by one. Grown-ups panicked that the explosions were another 9/11. Scorching asphalt burned our feet as we fled because there wasn''t enough time to put on shoes. Buildings and cars immediately caught fire and shrapnel pierced the trees and the houses. Nine thousand pounds of propane exploded and burned that day. Minnie Cooper died from an asthma attack related to the noxious fumes. The Black mother of three was only thirty-two. At the other end of my block, there was a junkyard with military airplane parts in full view. The owner of the lot collected the parts as a hobby, and had at least twenty-six US and Russian war craft machines. Each one ranged in value between ten thousand dollars and seventy-five thousand dollars, and shipping costs could be as high as thirty thousand dollars. One man''s treasure came at the cost of exposing poisonous particles to children in the neighborhood every day. His lot still sits directly across the street from my middle school''s playground. The fish-seasoning plant in our backyard did not smell. The yeast from the nearby Anheuser-Busch factory did. Car honks and fumes from Interstate 64 filtered through my childhood bedroom window, from where, if I stood on my toes, I could see the St. Louis Gateway Arch. All these environmental toxins that degraded our health often conspired with other forms of violence that pervaded our neighborhood. Employment opportunities were rare, and my friends and I turned to making money under the table. I was scared of selling drugs, so I gambled. Brown-skinned boys I liked aged out of recreational activities, and, without work, into blue bandannas. Their territorial disputes led to violence and more 911 calls. Grown-ups fought too, stressed from working hard yet never having enough bill money or gas money or food money or day-care money. Call 911. When people come across police abolition for the first time, they tend to dismiss abolitionists for not caring about neighborhood safety or the victims of violence. They tend to forget that often we are those victims, those survivors of violence, too. THE FIRST SHOOTING I witnessed was by a uniformed security guard. I was thir- teen years old. He was employed by Global Security Services, a company founded by a former Missouri police chief who was later convicted of homicide. The former chief managed to secure multi-million-dollar contracts in an embezzlement scheme to provide armed private officers at almost all of St. Louis''s city-owned properties--including my public neighborhood recreation center. The armed guards replaced the city police. I was teaching my sister, Courtnie, who was nine, how to shoot free throws at the rec center when the guard stormed in alongside the court, drew his weapon, and shot his cousin in the arm. Courtnie and I hid in the locker room for hours afterward. I thought the guard was angry that his cousin skipped a sign-in sheet, but the victim only told the police the shooting had started as an argument over "something stupid." Like the boy at the rec center who was shot by the private guard, most vic- tims of law enforcement violence survive. No hashtags or protests or fires for the wounded, assaulted, and intimidated. In 2020, Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin pinned George Floyd to the concrete as he hollered that he could not breathe. Floyd screamed. He screamed for his mother. He screamed for his breath. For his life. Until he died nine minutes later. Calls for "justice" quickly ensued. I often wonder, What if the cop who killed George Floyd had kneeled on Floyd''s neck for eight minutes and forty-six seconds instead of nine minutes? Floyd would have lived to be arrested, prosecuted, and imprisoned for allegedly attempting to use a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill. Is that justice? I did not think so. Too often, the public calls for justice when Black people are killed by the police and ignore the daily injustice if the victims would have lived. I was surprised by what followed next. Unlike the "Black Lives Matter" calls six years prior, protesters were shouting "Defund the police!" Abolition was entering into the mainstream. Initially, the notion of "police abolition" repulsed me. The idea seemed like it was created by white activists who did not know the violence that I knew, that I have felt. At the time, I considered abolition to be, pejoratively, "utopic." I''d seen too much sexual violence and had buried too many friends to consider getting rid of the police in St. Louis, let alone across the nation. I still lose people to violence. Sapphire. John. Greg. Brieana. Monti. Korie. Christopher. Jarrell. Sometimes, I reread our text messages to laugh again. And cry. But over time, I came to realize that, in reality, the police were a placebo. Calling them felt like something , as the legal scholar Michelle Alexander explains, and something feels like everything when your other option is nothing. Police couldn''t do what we really needed. They could not heal relationships or provide jobs. They did not interrupt violence; they escalated it. We were usually afraid when we called. When the cops arrived, I was silenced, threatened with deten- tion, or removed from my home. Today, more than fifteen years later, St. Louis has more police per capita than most cities in the US. My old neighborhood still lacks quality food, employment, schools, health care, and air--all of which increases the risk of violence and our reliance on police. And instead of improv- ing the quality of the neighborhood, St. Louis, which has the highest rate of killings by police among the largest cities in the US, spends more money on police. Yet I feared letting go; I thought we needed them. I thought they just needed to be reformed. Until August 9, 2014, when police officer Darren Wilson killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Brown had a funeral. Wilson had a wedding. Most police officers just continue to live their lives after filling the streets with blood and bone. On that day in August, I threw a conference for high school girls in Kansas City, where I had been organizing, attending college, and teaching middle school. This was a part of my farewell tour of the place I had called home for six years. Harvard Law School was on my horizon; I planned to become an education lawyer, and, one day, superintendent of a school district or, possibly, Secretary of Education. After the conference, my hometown, St. Louis, was next. In high school, I had rented a room in my aunt''s basement down the street from West Florissant and Chambers. She, like everyone in my family except my mother, lived in "the county." St. Louis City, where I grew up, is independent of St. Louis County, and Black people migrated to north county fleeing the violence and school districts in the city. My furniture was being held in the bright orange Public Storage in the county, on West Florissant--the street where the Ferguson Uprising exploded. For weeks I protested in Ferguson. We chanted, "Indict! Convict! Send those killer cops to jail! The whole damn system is guilty as hell!" Tanks rolled in, regardless of the crowd size and hype. I was a new mom, breastfeeding my six- month-old, and I learned on the streets that tear gas was not only noxious, but could possibly cause miscarriages. Somehow, I escaped tear gas for a year; I was terrified the chemicals would pass through my breast milk to my child. I drove from Ferguson to law school after Brown''s death. I met, studied with, and struggled alongside students and movement lawyers who explained the power and the purpose of the prison industrial complex through an abolitionist framework. Mass incarceration, I learned, was a manifestation of a much larger, interwoven set of structures of oppression that we had to dismantle. In Ferguson, I started to understand why we need police abolition rather than reform. Police manage inequality by keeping the dispossessed from the owners, the Black from the white, the homeless from the housed, the beggars from the employed. Reforms only make police polite managers of inequality. Abolition makes police and inequality obsolete. My journey toward abolition is not mine alone. I''m an elder in what Elizabeth Alexander describes as the "Trayvon generation," the young people who have watched the deaths of Black people go viral, the youth who were born again in the streets under clouds that rained smoke, tear gas, and rubber bullets. Alexander writes that when her sons were young, her love was an armor that sufficiently protected them, but as they aged, she grew to fear for their lives. I''m older than her children, as are many of my peers who organized in the wake of Trayvon''s killing. I witnessed activists of this generation organize to send Tray- on''s killer to prison, like I did, evolve into critical thinkers and budding revolutionaries who organized to close prisons and end policing altogether. The evolution was not linear and remains messy--as birthing ideas and relationships can be. This aligns with what it means to be a "generation." Fear, love, and possibility provide the armor for our generation. Most importantly, this generation, our generation, has been in deep l

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