Arrested Justice: Black Women, Violence, and America’s Prison Nation

Acknowledgments

[ ix ] Acknowledgments I realize that almost everyone who ever finishes a book begins to think about the acknowledgements midway through the writing when they realize how long they have been at it, and how much longer it will take to finish. It either occurs to writers then or when they are challenged by long periods of distraction and start to worry that they will never be able to turn their attention back to writing. For me, it was midway through the writing when life circumstances distracted me and I realized that the only way that I could ever finish this book was to accept the generous support I was being offered, and to lean as graciously as possible on others for inspiration. Thankfully, I was given permission to step aside from the demands of daily life; I had the privilege of personal and institutional support; I was able to open myself to the profound twin muses of joy and heartbreak; and I just kept writing. I finished this book because of the generosity of others—the communities who inspired me politically , the friends and family who forgave my absences, those activist allies who lovingly challenged me to finish this project. Ultimately I did finish because of the urgent, courageous stories of Black women trying to survive violence within a prison nation, each of whom demanded that I get this book done. There are a lot of people to acknowledge, and I am very grateful to each of them. Early in the writing of this book, one of my greatest muses, Ella Carmen Cohen-Richie, was born and came home to help raise my partner, Acknowledgments [ x ] Cathy J. Cohen, and me to be her parents. Quite literally, Ella brought new life to my world; helping me to renew my commitment to writing about Black women and male violence while at the same time deepening my appreciation for the important daily routines of playing, dancing, and singing with those that I love. She has been a wonderfully huge distraction and a mighty motivation for this book. Ella, Cathy, and I are so lucky to share our family routines with a large community. My ability to be a parent while writing a book was only possible because of the cadre of aunties and uncles, cousins, babysitters, and playmates, teachers and wise friends who helped out along the way. Norma Gabb, Fallon Wilson, Luz Perez, LaTosha Traylor, Perla Lopez, and Leigh Richie were particularly dear to Ella, and therefore to me. The Black Girls’ Group that Fallon facilitated (which we called Just a Sister Away) provided a steady group of family friends to learn and grow up with. Just down the block were our constant companions, Nate and his parents Jill and Laura, Katie and her parents Lynn and Todd, Nyla and her parents Amanda and Tyrone, Niama and Sage and their parents Shelley and Omar, Malcolm and his parents Garland and Michelle, and our neighbor Stephanie and her mother Doriane, all of whom kept the play-life in our home joyful and interesting. I appreciate the other adults who brought needed distractions during the years that I was writing this book. I am grateful for the meals, the discussions, and the invitations to the parties and events. And I am also grateful that my communities understood when I could not show up. My appreciation for the company and for the understanding goes to Catlin and Sansi Fullwood, Jason, Asha, Peter, and Barbara Ransby-Sporn, Willa Taylor and Mary Morten, Kimberly Smith and Michelle Lawrence, Tracye Matthews, Lynette Jackson, Barbara Phillips and Robert Howard, Jane B. Jacobs and William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn. I am grateful for the longevity of my friendships with P. Catlin Fullwood , Suzanne Pharr, Kata Issari, Katherine Acey, Nan Stoops, Dana Ain Davis, Sue Osthoff, and especially Valli Kalei Kanuha. Even though I saw these sister-friends less frequently than I wanted to during the years I was writing, I held tightly to their support as well as their wisdom. You see, this group of friends is much more than that; we share deep political values, strong intellectual commitments, and a history of organizing against violence against women of color. They were able (and willing) Acknowledgments [ xi ] to keep me focused, and to help me remember what needed to be said. The book and the process of writing it would have been very different if they had...