Dan Berger

Dan Berger is an associate professor of comparative ethnic studies at the University of Washington Bothell. In addition to The Struggle Within, his books include Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era, Rethinking the American Prison Movement, and Remaking Radicalism: A Grassroots Documentary Reader of the United States, 1973-2001. His writings can be found in Black Perspectives, Jacobin, Truthout, and elsewhere. A longtime activist, Berger is a cofounder of Decarcerate PA and a coordinator of the Washington Prison History Project.

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Praise

Praise

“The Struggle Within powerfully demonstrates that the issue of political prisoners is not about individuals but about the deep and enduring bonds of community resistance. Berger’s beautiful synthesis of more than fifty years of people’s history places the prison at the center of contemporary freedom struggles. This book is necessary reading for all who wish to revive a radical tradition in the face of the prison’s coercive attempt at erasure. The Struggle Within is a vital and moving contribution, rooted in the power of collective history.“
—Angela Y. Davis, author and former political prisoner

“Before the U.S. had today’s mass incarceration, it had political prisoners. Dan Berger’s excellent book shows how political repression produced the human rights nightmare that exists today in America’s prisons. More, the book tells the history of the hundreds of activists who have been incarcerated here—and most important of all, the stories of those who remain inside. This historical account tells the truth not only about political incarceration but also about how movements can act to dismantle the U.S. prison nation. Wherever you find your place in social justice activism, this much-needed book will help enrich your work and make it more effective.“
—Laura Whitehorn, former political prisoner and editor of The War Before

“Dan Berger has provided scholars and activists alike an untold and unfortunately too easily forgotten history of political incarceration and the struggle to free political prisoners in the U.S. Berger deftly grapples not only with the resilience of the incarcerated and the movements seeking their freedom, but more importantly with the roots of political incarceration in modern colonialism and its primary justification—racism. More than stirring our hearts and minds, this timely book should move us to action!“
—José López, executive director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center

“When the radical New Left crashed and burned, most participants resumed more or less conventional life trajectories. We too often forget that many of our brothers and sisters are still behind bars with no assurance of release. In The Struggle Within we are told about not only Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier but dozens of other political prisoners whose names we may not know. These men and women ’raised the stakes’ in confrontation with the Powers That Be and are behind bars not just for their ideas but because they were ’active participants in resistance movements.’ The author describes this book as an ’introductory and incomplete sketch,’ but it is, in fact, the most comprehensive survey of imprisoned Movement activists known to me. I deeply admire the author’s efforts to tell it like it is without excessive adjectives. While these souls are imprisoned, we are not free.“
—Staughton Lynd, author, educator, prison activist

“This vital piece connects not only an insightful academic reflection with lessons which radical movements would do well to learn, it connects past history with current realities in the service of a more just future. All intellectual pursuits should be so rooted in the service of building campaigns and organizations for the people’s liberation; Berger’s must-read book is a gift to social change activists everywhere.“
—Matt Meyer, coeditor of We Have Not Been Moved: Resisting Racism and Militarism in 21st Century America

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Book Events

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Reviews

• Reverberations of Underground Activism
• The Struggle Within in Radical Criminology Journal
• Activist scholar Dan Berger
• “Government’s Arsenal to Destroy Revolutionaries”: Political Imprisonment Persists

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Interviews

• Watch David Gilbert on a Panel with Monifa Bandele, Terry Bisson, Kenyon Farrow, Matt Meyer, and More
• Activist scholar Dan Berger

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Mentions

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Blog

• Follow him on Twitter: @dnbrgr

• From Freedom Summer to Black August
• Why Has COVID-19 Not Led to More Humanitarian Releases?— Dan Berger in The Boston Review
• As the Coronavirus Spreads, Prisoners Are Rising Up For Their Health— Dan Berger in The Appeal
• What’s behind the hunger strike at Northwest Detention Center