social movements

"This pamphlet illustrates how police violence in fact engendered resistance from Blacks in cities like Harlem. Harlem became the epicenter of black New York and perhaps even black America at the turn of the 20th century. In Harlem, tensions with the police were a permanent part of life. In 1943, a riot was triggered by a police officer's mistreatment of a young woman. In 1957, Malcolm X came to a national prominence following an incident of police brutality. In 1964, Harlem once again went up in flames after another incident of police mistreatment of local residents. This pamphlet will focus on these three episodes to provide some perspective about the history of police violence in New York City and particularly in Harlem in the mid-20th century. The topics are covered in an introductory manner and additional information is provided at the end for those who want to focus more in-depth." (Abstract taken from page 1).

It seems that this zine came out of a 2 in the morning conversation between two friends, Jamie and Katie. They discuss the all-too-common trap that many activist communities fall into: an ironic reiteration of the very hierarchies they try to dismantle. The authors seek to validate all types of "activism" and challenge the very definition of activism itself.