Deva R. Woodly is Associate Professor of Political Science at The New School and the author of The Politics of Common Sense (Oxford).

• Preface: Who Am I to Write this Movement?


• Part One: Democratic Precipice


• Introduction: The Democratic Necessity of Social Movements


• Chapter 1: Emergence: A Contemporary History


• Part Two: Democratic Necessity


• Chapter 2: Political Philosophy: Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism


• Chapter 3: The Politics of Care and the Idea of Healing Justice


• Chapter 4: The Art of Organizing


• Part Three: Democratic Possibility


• Chapter 5: Movement Means Changing Politics: Discourse, Tactics, Policy and a New Political Ecosystem


• Conclusion: On Futurity


• Bibliography


• Appendix A: Examples of Bailouts and Regular Bailout Actions


• Appendix B: Organizations Partnered with Bail Funds


• Appendix C: Police Oversight


• Appendix D: Progressive Reform Prosecutors


• Appendix E: Movement Syllabi


• Index

As Deva Woodly argues in Reckoning - a sweeping account of the meaning and purpose of the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) - social movements are necessary for the health and survival of democracy. Drawing from on-the-ground interviews with activists in the movement, Woodly analyzes the emergence of the M4BL, its organizational structure and culture, and its strategies and tactics. She also shows how a unique political philosophy - Radical Black Feminist Pragmatism - served as an intellectual foundation of the movement and documents the role it played in transforming public meanings, public opinion, and policy. Interweaving theoretical and empirical observations throughout, Woodly provides both a unique portrait of the movement and a powerful explanation of the labor social movements do in democracy.