Articles by Lesley Becker

Art and Activism: Danai Gurira’s Play, “Eclipsed,” Is More Relevant Than Ever

Lesley Becker May 7, 2021 Lesley Becker

Activism and Art are a potent combination for addressing problems that are both enduring and unendurable. The play, Eclipsed, transports the audience into the intimate dwelling of women struggling to survive while living as sexual slaves in a rebel forces encampment at the end of the Liberian civil war in 2003. The story follows a 15-year-old African girl as she escapes from the encampment to become a child soldier in the rebel forces.

Beyond Survival: Strategies and Stories from the Transformative Justice Movement

Lesley Becker March 23, 2021 Lesley Becker

The title of this book describes its mission, which is to move beyond surviving abuse or assault, and to organize for the purpose of addressing violence and the root causes of violence. Transformative Justice , if implemented widely and over time, will build community safety systems that can function independently of the criminal justice system. The essays in this book are first-hand accounts describing approaches for responding to and preventing violence and abuse without police and prisons.