Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself: A New Critical Edition by Angela Y. Davis (Open Media) - Softcover

"Just as Douglass was dedicated to abolishing the institution that imprisoned him and his people, Davis is dedicated to abolishing the institution that imprisoned her and still imprisons millions of Americans, mostly people of color: the modern American prison system."-H. Bruce Franklin, African American Review "Davis's work deserves a wide readership ... She has compiled much useful information not easily obtained elsewhere."-Toni Morrison "Davis' arguments for justice are formidable - The power of her historical insights and the sweetness of her dream cannot be denied." -New York Times Book Review "Long before 'race/gender' became the obligatory injunction it is now, Angela Davis was developing an analytical framework that brought all of these factors into play. For readers who only see Angela Davis as a public icon ... meet the real Angela Davis: perhaps the leading public intellectual of our era."-Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original "One of America's last truly fearless public intellectuals."-Cynthia McKinney, U.S. Democratic Congresswoman "Angela Davis's revolutionary spirit is still strong. Still with us, thank goodness!"-Virginian-Pilot "There was a time in America when to call a person an 'abolitionist' was the ultimate epithet. It evoked scorn in the North and outrage in the South. Yet they were the harbingers of things to come. They were on the right side of history. Prof. Angela Y. Davis stands in that proud, radical tradition."-Mumia Abu-Jamal, author of Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. the U.S.A. "Behold the heart and mind of Angela Davis, open, relentless, and on time!"-June Jordan "Angela Davis has stood as a courageous voice of conscience on matters of race, class, and gender in America."-David Theo Goldberg, Arizona State University "Angela Davis offers a cartography of engagement in oppositional social movements and unwavering commitment to justice."-Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Women's Studies, Hamilton College "The breadth of Davis's work in the past two decades is an inspiring example of bridge-building across causes and generations. That her contemporary activism can be coupled so flawlessly with Douglass's historic writings and powerful legacy speaks to the importance of their combined influence spanning centuries. ... At a time when the freedoms once granted by the Fourteenth Amendment are now being applied to corporate entities, cannabilizing the legacy of freed slaves in the United States, this book- Davis's call for a more engaged electorate-is wonderfully timely and deeply engaging."-Colorlines "Just as Douglass was dedicated to abolishing the institution that imprisoned him and his people, Davis is dedicated to abolishing the institution that imprisoned her and still imprisons millions of Americans, mostly people of color: the modern American prison system." H. Bruce Franklin, African American Review "Davis's work deserves a wide readership She has compiled much useful information not easily obtained elsewhere." Toni Morrison "Davis' arguments for justice are formidable The power of her historical insights and the sweetness of her dream cannot be denied." New York Times Book Review "Long before 'race/gender' became the obligatory injunction it is now, Angela Davis was developing an analytical framework that brought all of these factors into play. For readers who only see Angela Davis as a public icon meet the real Angela Davis: perhaps the leading public intellectual of our era." Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Thelonious Monk: The Life and Times of an American Original "One of America's last truly fearless public intellectuals." Cynthia McKinney, U.S. Democratic Congresswoman "Angela Davis's revolutionary spirit is still strong. Still with us, thank goodness!" Virginian-Pilot "There was a time in America when to call a person an 'abolitionist' was the ultimate epithet. It evoked scorn in the North and outrage in the South. Yet they were the harbingers of things to come. They were on the right side of history. Prof. Angela Y. Davis stands in that proud, radical tradition." Mumia Abu-Jamal, author of Jailhouse Lawyers: Prisoners Defending Prisoners v. the U.S.A. "Behold the heart and mind of Angela Davis, open, relentless, and on time!" June Jordan "Angela Davis has stood as a courageous voice of conscience on matters of race, class, and gender in America." David Theo Goldberg, Arizona State University "Angela Davis offers a cartography of engagement in oppositional social movements and unwavering commitment to justice." Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Women's Studies, Hamilton College "The breadth of Davis's work in the past two decades is an inspiring example of bridge-building across causes and generations. That her contemporary activism can be coupled so flawlessly with Douglass's historic writings and powerful legacy speaks to the importance of their combined influence spanning centuries. At a time when the freedoms once granted by the Fourteenth Amendment are now being applied to corporate entities, cannabilizing the legacy of freed slaves in the United States, this book Davis's call for a more engaged electorate is wonderfully timely and deeply engaging." Colorlines

This new edition, featuring essays by Angela Davis that focus on the importance political resistance and freedom struggle, will introduce Frederick Douglass's Narrative to the Obama generation. Already a cornerstone of every African American studies syllabus, the new edition has the potential to become the edition adopted by progressive-leaning professors and department heads. Newly relevant given the election of Barack Obama, Angela Davis discusses why and how the Narrative is important today for understanding freedom, conscience, resistance and social justice. Will be supported and promoted by the Pacifica Archives, the Pacifica Radio (including Democracy Now). In order to capture the largest market share, particularly in ongoing backlist orders from course adoptions, the title remains the same as the original edition. As this is a new critical edition, however, Angela Y. Davis is listed as a co-author, rather than an editor or contributor. The New Critical Edition is intended to be released, promoted and marketed at the same time as Davis's collection of speeches, The Meaning of Freedom, forthcoming from City Lights in Fall 09.