With only six weeks until Marissa Alexander‘s retrial in Florida, there is an urgent need to raise money for her legal defense. [Update: This afternoon we learned that Marissa’s trial has been postponed until December. More than ever she will need our financial support].

I was motivated to create the ‘No Selves to Defend Anthology‘ as a fundraising tool and also as an educational and consciousness-raising one. The anthology locates Marissa’s case within a historical context that criminalizes and punishes women (particularly of color) for self-defense.

photo by Sarah Jane Rhee

The women featured in the publication (besides Marissa) are: Lena Baker, Inez Garcia, Rosa Lee Ingram, Joan Little, Cece McDonald, New Jersey 4, Cassandra Peten, Bernadette Powell, Juanita Thomas, Yvonne Wanrow, and Dessie Woods.

Dessie Woods by Rachel Galindo (No Selves to Defend, 2014)

‘No Selves to Defend’ includes original art by Micah Bazant, Molly Crabapple, Billy Dee, Bianca Diaz, Rachel Galindo, Lex Non Scripta, Caitlin Seidler, and Ariel Springfield; as well as writing by William C. Anderson, Sam Hsieh, Victoria Law, Andy Smith, Mychal Denzel Smith, Emily Thuma, Lewis Wallace, Rachel Domain-White and me.

The 50 page anthology is printed on 80# gloss text paper with a laminated cover. Only 150 copies were printed (thanks to generous support from Kiese Laymon, Ariel Springfield, and Mychal Denzel Smith) and 125 copies are available to purchase. Once they sell out, there won’t be a second printing. We will however eventually make the publication available online to download so that others can engage with the content and use it in their organizing work. This is a limited edition publication.

‘No Selves to Defend’ can be purchased at the Free Marissa online store for $50 plus $2.90 shipping & handling. All proceeds support Marissa’s legal defense.

Boundless gratitude to everyone who contributed to this project. It took a village to make it happen on short notice.

I hope that you enjoy the anthology. You can listen to me discuss its genesis and content on the Matthew Filopowicz Show below. GET YOUR COPY TODAY!