Resistance Behind Bars: The Struggles of Incarcerated Women

I'm honored to have participated in the upcoming No Selves to Defend: A Legacy of Criminalizing Women of Color for Self Defense, a zine to both raise awareness about women of color incarcerated for self-defense *and* raise funds for Marissa Alexander's legal defense. Rachel Galindo, whose illustration graces the cover of the first edition of my book, collaborated with me to create an entry about Dessie Woods, incarcerated in the 1970s for defending herself against sexual assault.

No Selves to Defend will be available for purchase in early June for $50 plus $5 shipping and handling at the Free Marissa online store.

No Selves to Defend was conceived of and put together by Mariame Kaba of Chicago's Project NIA, an abolitionist organization that works to decrease the number of Chicago youth who are detained, arrested and incarcerated.

An excerpt:

Over a hundred years ago, in 1913, Mary Wilson was charged with murder. She was arrested in February in San Antonio, Texas for killing a trooper named Olaf Olson. The authorities say that she confessed. Mary was held without bail. She said that the soldier threatened her. She tried to flee to a friend’s home but Olson followed her and he grabbed her. Mary was scared. She thought that “he intended to do her bodily injury.” Mary “drew a revolver and shot him.” It was self-defense. But she was caged because she was black and a woman living in Texas at the turn of the 20th century. For a black woman, mere flesh is not a self. And for centuries, black women have had no selves to defend.

No Selves to Defend is a short primer that puts the case of Marissa Alexander in historical context. Some of the stories featured will be familiar and others less so. The women included in the publication (besides Marissa) are: Lena Baker, Inez Garcia, Rosa Lee Ingram, Joan Little, Cece McDonald, New Jersey 4, Cassandra Peten, Bernadette Powell, Juanita Thomas, Yvonne Wanrow, and Dessie Woods. The gorgeous original art in this publication brings each story to life. Poetry written by and/or about some of the women featured is included too.

No Selves to Defend will be available for purchase in early June for $50 plus $5 shipping and handling at the Free Marissa online store. If you live in the Chicago area or will be visiting in July, we hope that you will join us for an exhibition based on this publication at Art in These Times. More information is forthcoming…