BOOK ONE: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson, Palestine, and the Foundations of a Movement, By Angela Y. Davis
In our first book club meeting, we centered our discussion on Freedom Is a Constant Struggle and reflected on how liberation movements are built collectively rather than through any one individual. A major theme of the conversation was how oppressive systems isolate people and make it harder to imagine change, while community, vulnerability, and genuine connection help create hope, belonging, and a stronger foundation for organizing. We also talked about how people are often drawn into movements through care, shared struggle, and the sense that they are part of something larger than themselves.
Educator, activist and author Angela Davis (1944-) became known for her involvement in a politically charged murder case in the early 1970s. Influenced by her segregated upbringing in Birmingham, Alabama, Davis joined an all-Black branch of the Communist Party as a young woman.
We also spent time thinking about action, strategy, and the many different ways people can contribute to collective struggle. We discussed direct action through protest and boycott, mutual aid through sharing resources, and the importance of asking not only what is possible, but what is required of us. We talked about social media, surveillance, and the attention economy, and considered how building our own communication through zines, physical media, and other offline methods could support organizing. Another idea that stood out was that movements are made up of many different roles, with each person contributing their own thread to a much larger whole.
Beyond the discussion itself, we also began shaping a vision for where the book club could go next. We recorded a wide range of possible future readings on abolition, Palestine, Cuba, Indigenous history, and white supremacy, which made it clear that we want this space to grow into something expansive and politically grounded. We also made plans for the next meeting, where we would read about the Haitian Revolution, research the uprisings in Nepal, and come prepared with reflections, goals, and ideas for the group. Overall, these notes show that the book club is not just about reading together, but about building political education, creative collaboration, and collective purpose.