By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons,” by Brittany Friedman, is a thought-provoking forthcoming book that delves into the various tactics the California Department of Corrections used to stifle Black political movements from the 1950s to now.
“I felt inspired to research and write this book because as I was reading about how police describe Black political movements inside and outside of prison, I realized there were a lot of lies and propaganda in their writing, and I wanted to set the record straight,” Friedman said. “I wanted to find the truth.”
Friedman believes storytelling is powerful for liberation and decided to write her book in a narrative way. She draws from original interviews with leaders of the Black Power Movement, Black Guerilla Family, Nation of Islam, and more.
“This book is a collection of stories, so each chapter is telling an aspect of the story through people’s lived experience,” Friedman said. “I feel that’s the only way to do justice to what people survived and how they’re lived stories reflect a very systemic issue inside the prison and on the outside.”
Within the book, Friedman explains how carceral apartheid manifests in society, the historical events and ideologies that contributed to its development, how the Black Power Movement challenged carceral apartheid within and outside of the prison system, the long-term consequences of the repression faced by the Black Power Movement in prisons, how carceral apartheid manifests in the present and much more.
“Carceral Apartheid” will no doubt be enjoyed by truth-tellers, social justice warriors, activists, healers, community organizers, prisoner’s rights activists, civil rights lawyers, investigative journalists and true crime enthusiasts.
“I hope that readers feel my book has lifted the veil from their eyes and allowed them to be able to see how the world truly works more clearly,” Friedman said. “I want readers to feel compelled to dismantle the social lies we are told that keep people in a type of bondage.”
In addition to being an author, Friedman is a sociologist, filmmaker, creator and herbalist. She is based in Los Angeles. For more information about the author and her work, visit brittanyfriedman.com, or on X and Instagram @curlyprofessor.
Friedman will host a book event at Vroman’s Bookstore at 7 p.m. Jan. 23.
“Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons” is available for $27.95 (paperback), $22.99 (eBook), $99 (hardcover) via local bookstores and all online retailers.
