Series: City Lights Open Media

The Obama presidency represents a major milestone in black history and the struggle for political, economic, and cultural equality in the United States. But how, if at all, has the first black presidency helped move things forward for people of colour? Has it delivered the 'change we can believe in' and 'deepening of democracy' that communities of colour organised around?...

What is the meaning of freedom? Angela Y. Davis' life and work have been dedicated to examining this fundamental question and to ending all forms of oppression that deny people their political, cultural, and sexual freedom. In this collection of twelve searing, previously unpublished speeches, Davis confronts the interconnected issues of power, race, gender, class, incarceration, conservatism, and the ongoing...

Learning to Die in the Anthropocene by Roy Scranton draws on his experiences in Iraq to confront the grim realities of climate change. The result is a fierce and provocative book. "In Learning to Die in the Anthropocene, Roy Scranton draws on his experiences in Iraq to confront the grim realities of climate change. The result is a fierce and...

"Nader's assessment of how concentrated wealth and power undermine democracy is clear and compelling, but it's his substantive vision of how we ought to respond that makes Breaking Through Power essential reading. Written just before Donald Trump's Electoral College victory, Nader's latest book reads with even greater urgency now." – Yes Magazine In Breaking Through Power, Ralph Nader draws from...

Is it possible to create a borderless world? How might it be better equipped to solve the global emergencies threatening our collective survival? Build Bridges, Not Walls is an inspiring, impassioned call to envision—and work toward—a bold new reality. "Todd Miller cuts through the facile media myths and escapes the paralyzing constraints of a political 'debate' that functions mainly to...

"In his scathing and deeply reported examination of the U.S. Border Patrol, Todd Miller argues that the agency has gone rogue since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, trampling on the dignity and rights of the undocumented with military-style tactics. Miller's book arrives at a moment when it appears that part of the Homeland Security apparatus is backpedaling by promising to...

From poisoned water and police violence in our cities, to gun massacres and hate-mongering on the presidential campaign trail, evidence that America is at war with itself is everywhere around us. The question is not whether or not it's happening, but how to understand the forces at work in order to prevent conditions from getting worse. Henry A. Giroux offers...

Profound meditations on life, death, freedom, family, and faith, written by radical Black journalist, Mumia Abu-Jamal, while he was awaiting his execution. Death Blossoms is described by The Boston Globe as "uncompromising, disturbing . . . Abu-Jamal's voice has the clarity and candor of a man whose impending death emboldens him to say what is on his mind without fear...

Crusade 2.0 examines the resurgence of anti-Islamic sentiment in the US and explores three "unfinished wars" that have profoundly influenced the West: the Crusades, the Cold War, and the ongoing "war on terror" that continues to dominate U.S. thinking. This book offers a timely and provocative analysis of current events in the context of historical trends and suggests what can...

Women Who Change the World brings together nine remarkable women who have committed their lives to the ongoing struggle for social justice. These movement leaders, organisers, and cultural workers share their life stories in their own words, revealing both their most vulnerable and their most affirming moments. In this collection, you will discover the origins of their political awakenings and...

Indigenous societies throughout Latin America are facing difficult choices. After centuries of colonisation, the ongoing struggle to preserve communal knowledge, rituals, language, traditions, and teaching and learning practices has taken on even more significance in the increasingly standardised world of globalisation. For many indigenous societies, protecting community-based customs has involved the rejection of state-provided education, raising a series of interconnected...