âAn elegant and expansive historyâ ( New York Times ) of African American womenâs pursuit of political powerâand how it transformed America In Vanguard , acclaimed historian Martha S. Jones offers a new history of African American womenâs political lives in America. She recounts how they defied both racism and sexism to fight for the ballot, and how they wielded political power to secure the equality and dignity of all persons. From the earliest days of the republic to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and beyond, Jones excavates the lives and work of Black womenâMaria Stewart, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Fannie Lou Hamer, and moreâwho were the vanguard of womenâs rights, calling on America to realize its best ideals. Now revised to discuss the election of Vice President Kamala Harris and the vital contributions of Black women in the 2020 elections, Vanguard is essential reading for anyone who cares about the past and future of American democracy.
Sarah Schulmanâs work â as a nonfiction writer, novelist, activist, playwright and filmmaker â confronts the very thing most people try to avoid: conflict. Schulman, far from running from it, believes we need more of it.
This was true in Schulmanâs 2016 book, âConflict Is Not Abuse,â which argues that people often mislabel conflict as abuse without recognizing the power that they have to potentially abuse others. Viewing oneself as a victim can be one way to earn compassion. But powerful groups often use their perceived victimhood as an excuse to harm those who are more vulnerable. And more individually, people often donât see when they have power, and they often fear or dodge the work of repair. Itâs a challenging and prescient book, with a deep faith in the healing power of not just communication, but of collision.
Schulmanâs latest book, âLet the Record Show,â is a history of ACT UP New York, the direct-action group that reshaped AIDS activism in the late â80s and early â90s. Itâs a book about necessary conflicts: between the AIDS community and the U.S. government, and between queer people and a widely homophobic society. But itâs also about conflict among people who generally agree with one another and are working toward a common goal. Schulman calls the book âa political history,â but itâs also a work of political theory: a proposal for how social movements can become more effective by embracing dissensus rather than striving for consensus.
We began this conversation discussing ACT UP, conflict and Schulmanâs theory of political change. But we also ended up discussing Israel and Palestine, a topic she has written widely about. And Schulman shares her thoughts on contemporary L.G.B.T.Q. politics and what she thinks has been lost as queer culture has become more mainstream.
Mentioned in this episode:
Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT UP New York, 1987-1993 by Sarah Schulman
Conflict Is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair by Sarah Schulman
