Source: Assigned readings (Angela Davis Ch. 6, Andy Smith, W.E.B. Du Bois)
Tags: abolition democracy, Angela Davis, Andy Smith, W.E.B. Du Bois, neoliberalism, radical reconstruction, anti-blackness, orientalism, heteropatriarchy, settler colonialism, white supremacy, intersectionality, ES21AC
The assigned readings for this week build the theoretical foundations behind the lecture's discussion of the Prison Industrial Complex. Angela Davis connects abolition to democracy through Du Bois's concept of radical reconstruction. Andy Smith maps how white supremacy operates through multiple, intersecting logics rather than a single axis of oppression. Together, these readings argue that ending slavery or dismantling one form of oppression is insufficient without building new democratic structures.
Abolition democracy
A concept drawn from W.E.B. Du Bois. The argument that simply removing slavery (or any oppressive institution) does not constitute democracy. Abolition must be paired with the active construction of new, democratic institutions. "Taking away slavery does not mean building a democracy."
Radical reconstruction
Du Bois's term for the period and process following the abolition of slavery, in which formerly enslaved people and their allies attempted to build genuinely democratic institutions in the American South. The lecture frames this as incomplete, since formal abolition was not accompanied by the structural transformation needed to create real democracy.
Neoliberalism
Referenced in the context of Angela Davis's work. Students are prompted to examine their own understanding of neoliberalism and how it connects to Davis's analysis of prisons, policing, and the carceral state.
Anti-blackness
One of the intersecting logics of white supremacy identified in Andy Smith's framework. Operates as a distinct axis of oppression, not reducible to general racism.
Orientalism
Another logic within Smith's framework. Describes how certain racialised groups are constructed as foreign, exotic, or threatening to justify exclusion and surveillance.
Heteropatriarchy
The system in which heterosexuality and patriarchal gender norms are enforced as the default, intersecting with racial oppression to compound harm for those who fall outside these norms.
Settler colonialism
The ongoing process by which Indigenous lands are occupied and Indigenous peoples are displaced. In Smith's framework, this is a distinct logic of white supremacy, not simply a historical event.
Davis argues for remaining hopeful within abolitionist work, even in the face of the scale of the carceral state
Her analysis connects the Prison Industrial Complex to broader structures of racial capitalism and neoliberalism
Students are asked to interrogate their own understanding of neoliberalism in relation to Davis's arguments
The chapter frames abolition not as mere destruction of existing institutions but as a creative, constructive project
Smith's key contribution is mapping how white supremacy does not operate through a single logic
Instead, it functions through multiple, intersecting systems:
Anti-blackness
Orientalism
Heteropatriarchy
Settler colonialism
White supremacy as an overarching structure
"Grammar at play" refers to understanding the underlying rules and logics that structure racial oppression, not just its surface manifestations
This framework matters because addressing only one axis (e.g. anti-blackness) while ignoring others (e.g. settler colonialism) leaves the broader structure intact
Du Bois's central argument: abolishing slavery was necessary but not sufficient
"Taking away slavery does not mean building a democracy"
Radical reconstruction was the attempt to build democratic institutions after abolition
The failure of reconstruction demonstrates what happens when abolition is not paired with structural transformation
This historical analysis directly informs contemporary abolitionist arguments about the Prison Industrial Complex: dismantling prisons without building alternative structures would repeat the failure of reconstruction
⚠️ "Abolition democracy" is a key concept. Be able to define it and trace it from Du Bois through to Angela Davis's contemporary application.
⚠️ Du Bois's framing that "taking away slavery does not mean building a democracy" is a likely essay prompt or short-answer question. Know the argument and be able to apply it to the PIC.
⚠️ Andy Smith's multiple logics of white supremacy (anti-blackness, orientalism, heteropatriarchy, settler colonialism) may appear as a list-and-explain question. Know each term and how they intersect.
⚠️ The connection between radical reconstruction's failure and contemporary prison abolition is a core analytical thread in the course. Be ready to draw that parallel.
Q: What does W.E.B. Du Bois mean by "abolition democracy"?
A: Du Bois argues that abolishing an oppressive institution (such as slavery) is not the same as creating democracy. True abolition requires actively building new, democratic institutions and structures to replace what was dismantled. Without this constructive work, formal abolition leaves the underlying power relations intact.
Q: How does Angela Davis apply the concept of abolition democracy to the Prison Industrial Complex?
A: Davis argues that dismantling the PIC must be paired with building alternative community structures, much as Du Bois argued that ending slavery needed to be paired with radical reconstruction. Simply closing prisons without creating new forms of community safety, justice, and support would repeat the failures of the post-Civil War period.
Q: According to Andy Smith, what are the intersecting logics of white supremacy?
A: Smith identifies multiple, distinct logics that operate simultaneously: anti-blackness, orientalism, heteropatriarchy, and settler colonialism. These are not reducible to one another. Addressing only one while ignoring the others leaves the broader structure of white supremacy intact.
Q: Why does the concept of radical reconstruction matter for understanding contemporary abolition movements?
A: Radical reconstruction shows what happens when abolition is not accompanied by structural transformation. The formal end of slavery was not followed by the full construction of democratic institutions, leaving racial hierarchy largely intact. Contemporary abolitionists draw on this lesson to argue that dismantling the carceral state must be accompanied by building new, community-based alternatives.
Abolition democracy, Angela Davis, W.E.B. Du Bois, radical reconstruction, Andy Smith, neoliberalism, anti-blackness, orientalism, heteropatriarchy, settler colonialism, white supremacy, intersectionality, Prison Industrial Complex, PIC, carceral state, prison abolition, racial capitalism, ES21AC