From plantation rebellion and Indigenous land theft to prison labour's super-exploitation, Walcott examines the relationship between policing and property. That a man can lose his life for passing a fake $20 bill, when we know that our economies are flush with fake money, says something damning about the ways in which we’ve organized society. At the nexus of the current discourse on policing and violence is the unavoidable fact that criminal codes value property more than human life, and thus substantive change isn’t possible until we rethink the very idea of private property itself. Reviews: “A clear-eyed assessment of the links between property, policing, and the subjugation of Black people ... Walcott’s analysis of the ways in which white supremacy is baked into the legal systems of Canada and the U.S. is stimulating. Progressives will embrace this well-conceived call for change.”—Publishers Weekly “Running a brief but far-reaching and punchy 96 pages, On Property has an absolute certainty of purpose: calling for the abolition of private property ownership ... [If] statements such as ‘the problem of property is resolved through its removal’ or calls to ‘abolish everything’ can make some people quake, when Walcott’s pamphlet argues for the human ability to reconsider and rebuild societal structures, the stances come across as sensible and, better yet, doable.”—Toronto Star “Urgent, far-reaching and with a profound generosity of care, the wisdom in On Property is absolute. We cannot afford to ignore or defer its teachings. Now is the time for us-collectively-to take up the challenge in this undeniable gift of a book.”—Canisia Lubrin, author of The Dyzgraphxst and Voodoo Hypothesis “Provocative and persuasive. Rinaldo Walcott’s insightful unmasking of the historic baggage associated with private property challenges us to face up to what might be the source of our most pressing social problems.”—Cecil Foster, author of They Call Me George: The Untold Story of Black Train Porters and the Birth of Modern Canada "Rinaldo Walcott is one of the most renowned and dynamic articulators of the Black radical tradition. His writings are essential for anyone seeking deeper engagement with the social and political movements urgently afoot today."—David Chariandy, author of Brother and I've Been Meaning to Tell You About the Author: Rinaldo Walcott is a Professor in the Women and Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. His research is in the area of Black Diaspora Cultural Studies, gender and sexuality. |