An Abolitionist’s Handbook: Patrisse Cullors with Frederick Joseph

The co-founder of Black Lives Matter discusses her framework for how everyday activists and organizers can help re-imagine a world where communities are treated with dignity, care, and respect.

“We dare to imagine a world without cages, shackles and chains. As those before imagined, as well,” Patrisse Cullors writes to fellow activists. Proving to be a part of a great lineage of thinkers on racial justice and prison reform, Cullors evokes the wisdom of Audre Lorde, Angela Davis, and Ruth Wilson Gilmore in An Abolitionist’s Handbook. Through a history of abolition, tactical guidance, and personal anecdotes, the step-by-step framework offers a humanistic approach to how to be a modern-day abolitionist. Cullors argues that reformers working on the ground today are all capable of leading courageous conversations while harnessing the power of love.

Cullors speaks with Frederick Joseph about the continuing struggle for an abolitionist future.

This program will be streamed live on the NYPL event page.

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A live transcript will be provided. ASL interpretation is available upon request. Please submit your request at least two weeks in advance by emailing accessibility@nypl.org. A pre-filled Gmail template is available by clicking here. Any media will be accompanied by alt text to reference before the program or by audio description.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Patrisse Cullors is a New York Times bestselling author, educator, artist and abolitionist from Los Angeles, CA. Co-founder of the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Cullors has been on the frontlines of abolitionist organizing for 20 years. Since she began the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, it has expanded into a global foundation supporting Black led movements in the US, UK, and Canada, it has been recognized by The New York Times as the "largest movement in US history," and has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. TIME 100 also named Cullors as the 100 Most Influential People in 2020. Cullors has led multiple Los Angeles based organizations such as Dignity and Power Now, Justice LA and Reform LA Jails. In 2020, Cullors signed an overall production deal with Warner Brothers, where she intends to continue to uplift Black stories, talent, and creators that will continue to transform the world of art and culture.

Frederick Joseph is a New York Times bestselling author of The Black Friend and upcoming Patriarchy Blues and Better Than We Found It (2022). Joseph is a Forbes Under 30 list-maker for marketing and advertising, an activist, and philanthropist, with over 10 years of marketing experience. He is the sole creator of the largest GoFundMe campaign in history, the #BlackPantherChallenge, which ultimately generated over $43 million dollars in earned advertising and media for Disney, raised over $950K, and allowed more than 75,000 children worldwide to see Black Panther for free. Joseph is also the creator of the largest individual COVID-19 support effort, the #RentRelief campaign, which has raised over $2 million dollars. He has been honored as the 2018 Comic-Con Humanitarian of the Year award and is a member of the 2018 Root 100" list of Most Influential African Americans. Joseph was also a national surrogate for the Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders campaigns. He consistently writes about marketing, culture, and politics for the Huffington Post, USA Today, NowThisNews, The Independent, amongst others and is a current contributor at AdWeek.

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Patrisse Cullors © Ryan Pfluger