In this panel discussion, Associate Professor of Politics Deva R. Woodly will discuss her recent book, Reckoning: Black Lives Matter and the Democratic Necessity of Social Movements (Oxford University Press, 2021).
Drawing from on-the-ground interviews with activists in the movement, in Reckoning Woodly analyzes the emergence of the Movement for Black Lives, its organizational structure and culture, and its strategies and tactics. She also shows how a unique political philosophy - Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism - served as an intellectual foundation of the movement and documents the role it played in transforming public meanings, public opinion, and policy. Interweaving theoretical and empirical observations throughout, Woodly provides both a unique portrait of the movement and a powerful explanation of the labor social movements do in democracy. A major work that speaks to both scholars and activists, Woodly's account of the rise and spread of M4BL reshapes our understanding of why the movement is so important - and so necessary - for democracy.