The Purpose of Power

How We Come Together When We Fall Apart

By: Alicia Garza

Narrated by: Alicia Garza

An essential guide to building transformative movements to address the challenges of our time, from one of the country’s leading organizers and a co-creator of Black Lives Matter

“Excellent and provocative . . . a gateway [to] urgent debates.”—Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, The New Yorker

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY Time • Marie Claire • Kirkus Reviews

In 2013, Alicia Garza wrote what she called “a love letter to Black people” on Facebook, in the aftermath of the acquittal of the man who murdered seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin. Garza wrote:

Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.

With the speed and networking capacities of social media, #BlackLivesMatter became the hashtag heard ’round the world. But Garza knew even then that hashtags don’t start movements—people do.

Long before #BlackLivesMatter became a rallying cry for this generation, Garza had spent the better part of two decades learning and unlearning some hard lessons about organizing. The lessons she offers are different from the “rules for radicals” that animated earlier generations of activists, and diverge from the charismatic, patriarchal model of the American civil rights movement. She reflects instead on how making room amongst the woke for those who are still awakening can inspire and activate more people to fight for the world we all deserve.

This is the story of one woman’s lessons through years of bringing people together to create change. Most of all, it is a new paradigm for change for a new generation of changemakers, from the mind and heart behind one of the most important movements of our time.

Critic reviews

“In a year when a long overdue reckoning with racism is once again in the spotlight, Garza’s call to action . . . is urgent and critically necessary.”—Time

“The Purpose of Power is a must-read. Anyone interested in turning the page of our contemptible past toward a brighter future should put this book on their reading list.”—Congresswoman Barbara Lee

“‘Black lives matter’ was Alicia Garza’s love letter read around the world. The Purpose of Power is another love letter that should be read around the world. It speaks to all that molded Garza, all that molds organizers, all that molds movements.”—Ibram X. Kendi, author of #1 New York Times bestseller How to Be an Antiracist

“I can think of no greater guide to the difficult work of building movements than Alicia Garza and no greater tome of wisdom for this age than The Purpose of Power, a precious offering to a nation navigating unprecedented crises, for whom movements remain our only saving grace.”—Ai-jen Poo, executive director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and author of The Age of Dignity

“Damn. The Purpose of Power changes everything. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked at this book’s audacity, because it’s written a young Black woman who literally changed everything. Very few books become national monuments. Even fewer help shape social movements. The Purpose of Power is that rare book that is a monumental movement. It is a liberatory offering. Damn.”—Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy

“The Purpose of Power cements Garza as a generational leader whose unflinching yet generous wisdom will shape our approach to activism for years to come.”—Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us

“The Purpose of Power is a necessary political history, an expansive theory of liberation, and a personal testament to the power of movement building. Garza helps guide us to greater understanding and faith in our prospects for revolutionary change.”—Mychal Denzel Smith, author of Stakes Is High

“The book reveals Garza as not only a superb strategist but a master storyteller. This layered book is for anyone that understands that surviving with dignity is a practice, but fighting for both dignity and survival is a skill.”—Malkia Devich Cyril, senior fellow and lead founder of Media Justice

Organizations!

Keep mutual respect in your heart and think with openness, yes both at the same time.

SEE US ALL!!

This is where I am and I'm sure I'm not alone at the age of #thirty-fine. Thank you for seeing me and us all. For gifting us with these words. These are the words I needed to hear!!!! At times, I feel so alone in my struggle to redefine and shift the landscape of Real Estate Development in one of the richest counties in the nation. Thank you!!!

Great book.

A great book for this time. Everyone should read it. Very well written, and it keeps your attention.

prophetic and instructive book

Alicia is a sage of movements and powerbuilding. I found her insight and wisdom extremely informative as I think about how to make change in this broken world. I highly recommend this book.

Essential reading for all who wish to contribute to creating a more just, healthier and loving world.

This is one of the most astute and accessible narratives about what it is to work as an organizer for social change- the empowerment of individuals and communities to discover, struggle for and (sometimes) achieve their aspirations - with respect, compassion and dedication to the upliftment of others. Alicia Garza’s book is, however more than this. It is a sophisticated primer on what its title says: the purpose of power. It cuts through the hype, misinformation and misuse of power (sometimes unwitting) to distill some of the key and essential elements of organizing for and achieving community power; not power for power’s sake, but rather for inclusivity and unleashing the creative, loving and responsible potential of compassion and relationship. This book is a masterpiece. (And an even greater delight to hear it read with the sentiment intended by Alicia Garza herself.)