Starred review from December 1, 2017
Published on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Combahee River Collective (CRC) Statement, Taylor (From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation) interviews five prominent black feminist leaders about the impacts this radical movement has had on American society from the time of the group's formation in the 1970s to the present day. Taylor conducts lively interviews with founding members of the CRC such as Barbara Smith, Beverly Smith, and Demita Frazier as well as Alicia Garza, cofounder of the Black Lives Matters movement. With closing statements from historian and longtime activist Barbara Ransby, this powerful examination of the origins of radical black feminism emphasizes the need of bringing the CRC's forward-thinking vision to the present day. While modern feminism has just begun to include discussions of intersectionality in its framework, the women of the Combahee River Collective were already discussing this more than 40 years ago. Clearly, the collective has influenced modern culture even when it hasn't been given credit for doing so. Includes a beneficial index. VERDICT An essential book for any feminist library.--Venessa Hughes, Buffalo, NY
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