Why Abolition?

For me, it is essential to approach education and life with a lens of abolition because abolition offers strategies and perspectives for the possibility of a future in which everyone has what they need. There are so many systems of violence and oppression (often influenced by carceral/punitive logic) that impact our lives and the lives of children that it can be easy to take for granted that these systems will always exist; abolition says otherwise. Abolition feminism invites us to imagine beyond what we think is possible and take action towards these visions becoming a reality. Abolition feminism also asks us to look inside ourselves for ways that oppressive systems and perspectives influence our own actions and relationships and strive for healing within ourselves and with each other.

Abolition has a long, complicated, and continuing history throughout the globe and has become more widely discussed and some would say ‘trendy’ in the last five years. Abolition is not static: it is both a theory and a practice that exists within academia, activism, and public policy that may have different connotations based on context and perspective, ranging from liberal to radical. Abolition movements and abolitionist praxis (theory & practice) can take many forms. Within the multitude of perspectives and applications of abolition, there is often a common thread: the impetus to simultaneously deconstruct and construct, dismantle and build, destroy and create. Sadly, the creative aspect of abolition is often neglected and abolition can be stereotyped as solely a destructive praxis or movement, which is far from true. Abolition is a creative and visionary praxis which prioritizes collective well-being for all!

One concrete example I like to share is this: in the United States it is not uncommon for children — especially Black, Brown and/or disabled children — to be expelled from school as early as preschool. This is both heartbreaking and enraging to me; my face gets hot and my chest pounds when I think about it. In response, I envision the day when this is no longer true, and instead of expelling children we have created educational spaces that serve ALL children, families, and communities. Further, I envision that all communities have the resources, health care, and access to transformative justice they need to thrive. One small action I take towards this vision is talking to pre-service teachers and others about transformative justice and how to create classroom environments that are supportive and accomodating. It will take work to get there, but I believe it is possible!

References:

Bryan, N., McMillian, R., & LaMar, K. (2022). Prison abolition literacies as Pro-Black pedagogy in early childhood education. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 14687984221122990.

Davis, A. Y., Dent, G., Meiners, E. R., & Richie, B. E. (2022). Abolition. Feminism. Now. (Vol. 2). Haymarket Books.

Kaba, M., Murakawa, N., & Nopper, T. K. (2021). We do this 'til we free us: Abolitionist organizing and transforming justice. Haymarket Books.

Kaba, M., & Ritchie, A. J. (2022). No more police: A case for abolition. The New Press.

Kelley, R. D. (2002). Freedom dreams: The black radical imagination. Beacon Press.

Lamusse, T., & McIntosh, T. (2020). Prison abolitionism: Philosophies, politics, and practices. The Aotearoa Handbook of Criminology.

Love, B. L., (2019). We want to do more than survive: abolitionist teaching and the pursuit of educational freedom. Beacon Press.

Maton, R., Dexter, B., McKeon, N., Urias-Velasquez, E., & Washington, B. (2022). Far Apart, Close in Heart: Exploring Representations of Familial Incarceration in Children's Picturebooks. Journal of Children's Literature, 48(2), 19–32.

McCloskey, E. (2012). Conversations about jail: Inclusive settings for critical literacy. Early Childhood Education Journal, 40(6), 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-012-0528-7

McDowell, M. G., & Fernandez, L. A. (2018). ‘Disband, disempower, and disarm’: Amplifying the theory and practice of police abolition. Critical Criminology, 26, 373-391.

Morris, M. (1976). Instead of prisons: A handbook for abolitionists. Syracuse: Prison Research Education Action Project.

Roberts, D.E. (2019). Abolition constitutionalism. Harvard Law Review, 133(1), 1–122.

Woke Kindergarten. (n.d.). Woke Wonderings. Retrieved September 26, 2023 from https://www.wokekindergarten.org/woke-wonderings/