by Caroline Keane
A question I’ve been asking myself is, as an abolitionist feminist, what are my/our values? Who do I prioritize and how do my values transfer, do they transfer into my praxis and interpersonal relationships? The intention of this piece is to identify these values so they can be honored, and a reminder to other abolitionist feminists to question and honor their own values, even if they differ from those outlined here. This is an exploration, not a thesis driven analysis, nor intended to inspire guilt or shame.
In “Abolition. Feminism. Now.” authors Davis, Dent, Meiners, and Richie define abolitionist feminism as, “The very meaning of the term abolition feminism incorporates a dialectic, a relationality, and a form of interruption: an insistence that abolitionist theories and practices are most compelling when they are also feminist, and conversely, a feminism that is also abolitionist is the most inclusive and persuasive version of feminism for these times…the movement to end gender and sexual violence, for example, can never be isolated from the work to end state violence, including the violence of policing.” (p.5) This definition identifies goals of ending gender, sexual, and state violence.
Abolitionist feminism is a theory that aims to abolish prisons, carceral systems, and gendered and sexual violence. It seems clear that these forms of violence are intimately linked, yet historically these two goals have at times been in opposition to one another, with carceral methods being one of the only possible routes to safety available to survivors. The white-dominanted 2nd wave feminism aimed to increase numbers of incarcerations and prison terms for people who abuse.
Out of necessity, when state methods failed, when someone who did harm is also the one getting rent paid, who provided the prescription needed to survive, or when you didn’t want the one you loved who harmed you to be disappeared by the state – methods of addressing interpersonal violence were developed to be addressed within communities. Methods to address harm have always, and still do, exist everywhere that the US judicial system is not the governing force. Within abolitionist feminism, these methods often fit under the umbrella term ‘transformative justice’ as a theoretical framework and ‘community accountability’ as practices. These theories come from the lived experience and writing of Black and Brown women and gender-non-comforming people, such as Angela Davis, Adrienne Marie Brown, Mariame Kaba, and Mia Mingus. Works such as “Beyond Survival” and “The Revolution Starts at Home” compile some of these lessons, which has inspired much of this writing.
These attempts at addressing the interpersonal violence that is often silenced, erased, and ignored in ways that do not replicate the carceral systems, has come with mistakes, further harm, and lessons. Which brings me to the question: what do I – and we – value?
Sometimes answering the most complex questions requires returning to our most basic values.
I write this as a guide for myself to sort out some of the most pressing issues in my mind and heart which very well may be pressing on the hearts and minds of some readers as well.
A few values that I have identified are-
- Quality of life for survivors and for those who are most marginalized
The wellbeing and prosperity of survivors and those who are most marginalized matters, and we should strive for more than survival and freedom from violence. One way this can be achieved is by radically reimagining, and transforming our notions of community and care.
- Opposition to white supremacy, capitalism, cis-hetero-patriarchy, and the carceral state
By opposing these structures, we need intersectionality along lines of race, gender, class, and ability. To truly be trauma-informed we must understand the harm that white supremacy, cis-hetero-patriarchy, capitalism, and the carceral state (and its institutions – prisons and policing) inflict on us.
- Consent
Consent is free, prior, and informed. As a value, abolitionist feminists strive to create cultures of consent, extending far beyond sexual interactions. A culture of consent is one where we have more potential to make free, informed choices, unlike the dominant rape culture which forces us to do things we would never agree to.
- Communal knowledge and skill
There is the belief that as communities we have the knowledge and skill to face our problems together. Collectively we have more power to transform, repair, and protect ourselves and each other than the state.
- No one is disposable
No one is disposable. This is true of those who cause harm and of survivors, who are frequently disposed of and unsupported. Someone who causes harm should be given an opportunity to be accountable for any harm they caused. When one person’s healing is at another’s expense, it’s not just, and yet we will all have to take risks and be vulnerable to move forward. The emphasis should be on the person who was most harmed. Mariame Kaba puts it best – “We also have to stop acting like saying that somebody can’t be in a space is disposing of them.” If someone is unwilling or unable to change, their presence shouldn’t be at the expense of who they hurt. Sadly, oftentimes we simply can’t provide people with the healing and understanding that they require to be in every space. We need to increase our capacity here, as difficult as it is with the endless unfolding crises we are living through. Accountability and oppression are not the same. Transformative justice aims to protect those who are most marginalized, unlike the prison system, which punishes them with more trauma. In the context of interpersonal harm, this is the survivor, although sometimes it is not easily identifiable. The goal is to transform and foster accountability rather than to punish, and broadly, to prevent and heal harm and trauma.
- Accountability & responsibility
Abolitionist feminists value individual and collective accountability for our actions, for harm, and living up to our responsibilities. To truly be honest and to hold one another, we must hold one another accountable. The rampant individualism that promotes the idea that freedom means doing what we please without consideration of how it impacts others does not honor the fact that we are all intimately connected and will impact each other.
- Autonomy & Agency
Survivors have agency over their own lives. Someone who causes harm cannot be forced to be accountable or to transform. Transformative justice and community accountability are guides and gestures at a map, but no one has answers or clear directions. It calls upon us to consider our own knowledge and skills to confront complex harms.
- Complexity
Violence does not always occur within the binary. Anyone can cause or experience harm. We must understand the complexities and nuances of harm in order to prevent it. The phrase “hurt people hurt people” rings true. While many are incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses, incarcerated people have some of the highest rates of childhood abuse, experiences of sexual assault, and history of poverty. A lot of things are more complex than they seem, but nuances should never obstruct the basic values and goals of transformative justice.
Some ways that abolitionist feminists might practice these values are harm reduction, advocating to transform material and social conditions, building strong and inclusive communities and groups, holding each other accountable, and helping each other heal.
I invite readers, especially those who identify as abolitionist feminists, to join me to reflect and inquire together with some questions to inspire thought and discussion. Are we honoring our values, and if so, how? Are some of these values prioritized over others, and if so, which ones? Is the practice of these values evident in my personal and political life? Are my actions guided by my mind, heart, or a balance of the two? Honesty without judgment can facilitate the greatest transformations.
