From Blacklivesmatter to Black Liberation

In her ambitious survey, Taylor traces the trajectory of the Black Lives Matter movement from its origins and more recent catalysts (extending far beyond police brutality), to the turbulent present day, to her vision for a future where black liberation is possible. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to take the long view on the movement. Recommended By Renee P., Powells.com

"Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor's searching examination of the social, political and economic dimensions of the prevailing racial order offers important context for understanding the necessity of the emerging movement for black liberation." —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow

"This brilliant book is the best analysis we have of the #BlackLivesMatter moment of the long struggle for freedom in America. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor has emerged as the most sophisticated and courageous radical intellectual of her generation." —Dr. Cornel West

"Ultimately, From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation is an essential read for anyone following the movement for Black Lives. The text chronicles a portion of history we rarely ever see, while also bringing together data and deep primary source research in a way that lucidly explains the origins of the current moment." —Los Angeles Review of Books

Winner of the 2016 Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize for an Especially Notable Book


The eruption of mass protests in the wake of the police murders of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City have challenged the impunity with which officers of the law carry out violence against Black people and punctured the illusion of a postracial America. The Black Lives Matter movement has awakened a new generation of activists.

In this stirring and insightful analysis, activist and scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor surveys the historical and contemporary ravages of racism and persistence of structural inequality such as mass incarceration and Black unemployment. In this context, she argues that this new struggle against police violence holds the potential to reignite a broader push for Black liberation.

Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor writes on Black politics, housing inequality, and issues of race and class in the United States. Her articles have been published in Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society, Jacobin, New Politics, the Black Commentator, Black Agenda Report, Ms. Magazine, and other publications. Taylor is assistant professor at the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University.