Literary Hub » Abolition

Why Donald Trump Wants to Erase John Brown’s Fiery Abolitionist Legacy (and Why He Will Fail)

Why Donald Trump Wants to Erase John Brown’s Fiery Abolitionist Legacy (and Why He Will Fail)

Robert S. Levine Visits Harpers Ferry Amid a Government Shutdown

By Robert S. Levine | October 10, 2025

Remembering David Ruggles, the radical abolitionist who opened the first Black-owned bookstore.

Remembering David Ruggles, the radical abolitionist who opened the first Black-owned bookstore.

A Black History month reflection.

By Brittany Allen | February 18, 2025

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass"> Kwame Dawes on <em

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The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass">

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass">Kwame Dawes on The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Dawes, the great poet and critic, reflects on the legacy of the rhetorician and abolitionist Douglass, in the introduction to a new edition of his monumental autobiography

By Kwame Dawes | February 6, 2023

“A Solemn Battle between Good and Evil.” Charles Sumner’s Radical, Compelling Message of Abolition

“A Solemn Battle between Good and Evil.” Charles Sumner’s Radical, Compelling Message of Abolition

Timothy Shenk on the Senator from Massachusetts and the Birth of the Republican Party

By Timothy Shenk | October 24, 2022

Why Family Isn’t Everything—And How We Can Create More Liberatory Alternatives

Why Family Isn’t Everything—And How We Can Create More Liberatory Alternatives

Sophie Lewis on the Capitalist and Patriarchal Underpinnings of Traditional Family Structures

By Sophie Lewis | October 19, 2022

How Abolition Feminism Fuels the Movement For Black Liberation

How Abolition Feminism Fuels the Movement For Black Liberation

Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie on Black Feminists' Fight Against the Carceral State

By Mariame Kaba and Andrea J. Ritchie | September 1, 2022

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

How Ida B. Wells Campaigned to Expose the Lies Behind the Lynchings

By Philip Dray | June 2, 2022

On the Forgotten Voices of the Abolition Movement

By J.D. Dickey | March 3, 2022

J.D. Dickey on the Tormented Rise of Abolition in Andrew Jackson’s America

By Keen On | March 1, 2022

How the Potter Josiah Wedgwood Created an Iconic Abolitionist Medallion

How the Potter Josiah Wedgwood Created an Iconic Abolitionist Medallion

Tristram Hunt on the Union of Moral Passion and Commercial Acumen

By Tristram Hunt | October 28, 2021

Derecka Purnell on Abolition and the Pursuit of Freedom

Derecka Purnell on Abolition and the Pursuit of Freedom

The Quarantine Tapes">In Conversation with Alex Vitale on The Quarantine Tapes

By The Quarantine Tapes | October 21, 2021

Colin Kaepernick on the Link Between Abolition and Black Liberation

Colin Kaepernick on the Link Between Abolition and Black Liberation

“It is only logical that systemic problems demand systemic solutions.”

By Colin Kaepernick | October 7, 2021

On Racial Injustice and the False Promise of Police Reforms

On Racial Injustice and the False Promise of Police Reforms

Derecka Purnell Unpacks the Drive to Seek Justice

By Derecka Purnell | October 5, 2021

When Incarceration Comes Home: On Prison “Reforms” That Still Do Harm

When Incarceration Comes Home: On Prison “Reforms” That Still Do Harm

Reading Women Podcast">This Week from the Reading Women Podcast

By Reading Women | September 15, 2021

Reading Women Discusses Books on Incarceration"> <em

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Reading Women Discusses Books on Incarceration">

Reading Women Discusses Books on Incarceration">Reading Women Discusses Books on Incarceration

Reading Women Podcast">This Week from the Reading Women Podcast

By Reading Women | September 1, 2021

Police Abolition Is About Building Up More Than Tearing Down

Police Abolition Is About Building Up More Than Tearing Down

Geo Maher on Emancipation and Reconstruction, Past and Future

By Geo Maher | August 26, 2021

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