Sydney Reads and Reads: September

For the first time, perhaps since the early days of COVID, I read only one book in September. And boy, was it a book worth taking your time.

Friends, please allow me to introduce you to Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson. Please don't let the fact that Blood in the Water is a Pulitzer Prize winner scare you off or give you the perception that it's too hefty or intellectual for you. I believe nothing could be further from the truth. Thompson approaches the Attica uprising, its aftermath, and ensuing court cases with a depth and nuance that reads like fiction—piecing together the truth of what happened during those five tension-filled days in such a way as to allow you to stand in the footsteps of the decision-makers and prisoners alike while not denying the realities at hand. Those realities bing that the incarcerated men in D Yard were mercilessly assaulted in the retaking of the facility and went on to suffer for years.

For those unfamiliar, as I was, with the events that transpired at Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York in 1971. "On September 9, 1971, nearly 1,300 prisoners took over the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York to protest years of mistreatment. Holding guards and civilian employees hostage, the prisoners negotiated with officials for improved conditions during the four long days and nights that followed. 

On September 13, the state abruptly sent hundreds of heavily armed troopers and correction officers to retake the prison by force. Their gunfire killed thirty-nine men--hostages as well as prisoners--and severely wounded more than one hundred others. In the ensuing hours, weeks, and months, troopers and officers brutally retaliated against the prisoners. And, ultimately, New York State authorities prosecuted only the prisoners, never once bringing charges against the officials involved in the retaking and its aftermath and neglecting to provide support to the survivors and the families of the men who had been killed."

Reading Blood in the Water was a humbling and eye-opening experience. Not only due to the particulars of the conditions and events at Attica but because it helped me move forward on my journey of understanding the baked-in racism of our prison system and the mission of abolition.

Suppose my full-throated recommendation isn't enough for you. In that case, I urge you to listen to Traci Thomas' interview with author Heather Ann Thompson on The Stacks Podcast as well as her discussion of the book with Derecka Purnell, activist and author of Becoming Abolitionists.

When was the last chance you had to take your time to process or savor the reading of a book? If it's been a while, pick up a copy of Blood in the Water and enjoy the ride.