@dr.shawna: History doesn’t disappear, but it can be hidden. Sometimes it can be buried under redacted files, denied FOIA requests, and decades of silence from people in power. In this video, I’m talking about B***d in the Water by Heather Ann Thompson and reading from the introduction about the massive effort to cover up what really happened during the Attica prison uprising. This book is one of the most powerful examples I’ve ever read of how state violence, censorship, incarceration, and historical memory intersect. If you’ve ever wondered why so many people don’t know the full story of Attica, the answer is right there in the archives and Thompson’s work is comprehensive and thoughtful. We need to talk more about prison history, mass incarceration, government secrecy, FOIA, media narratives, and whose stories get erased from public memory and who gets to tell them. #BookTok #TikTokLearningCampaign #bookrecommendation

dr.shawna

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Thursday 14 May 2026 21:40:24 GMT

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Comments

Autumn :

@Amy Mac Do Do Do Do Do Do did a series around the Attica uprising last year (not sure of the exact timeline) that you’d be likely enjoy - super insightful and engaging despite its grim subject matter! i love the suggestion of this book - imperative to know our history to make better futures possible.

2026-05-20 15:38:20

dr.shawna :

Have you heard of Attica before? What was the context?

2026-05-14 22:40:28

Kayla :

Would you consider lowering the music on future videos? It’s really overstimulating/distracting for folks like me. I really appreciate your videos! 🫶🏻

2026-05-15 06:01:40

legendofpretzelda :

thank you for sharing this book rec, I'm adding it to my reading list now.

2026-05-15 16:35:31

Acoustic Lemon 🫨 🍋 :

Ohhhh I will have to find this book. Thanks for sharing it!

2026-05-18 23:04:19

Katie :

thank you for sharing this book! NY State has an interesting history of incarceration, but I haven't read this one. In my abolition and incarceration independent study this semester I read Prison in the Woods about the building of prisons in NY's Adirondack park, it's really good, written through an environmental lens which alongside Ruth Wilson Gilmore's Abolition Geography has been an amazing comparison!

2026-05-14 23:10:03

Jolene :

I know I viewed this video when it dropped 3 days ago and know I liked it. Yet I had to like it when I came back to rewatch it.

2026-05-18 19:42:24

𝑒𝓁𝓈🪽 :

This is insane watching this when the prison is right next to my house, I can see the turrets from my bedroom window

2026-06-08 22:42:11

sncrlynotsorry :

I highly recommend ‘Tip of the spear: Black radicalism, prison repression & the long Attica revolt’ by Orisanmi Burton (2023)

2026-05-25 12:40:43

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