Authors Tom Weiner and Dr. Amilcar Shabazz will present on their new book, In Defiance: 20 Abolitionists You Were Never Taught in School (April 2025, Interlink Publishing).

In Defiance uncovers the stories of individuals who risked their lives to fight enslavement, serving as a compelling call for justice and the preservation of history. This book brings to light the often-suppressed stories of 20 Black and white men and women - their courage, activism, and unwavering commitment to freedom.

Amid ongoing efforts to erase history, these stories serve as a powerful corrective—meant to challenge, inspire, and ignite action. Co-authored by Tom Weiner, a Northampton-based writer, educator, and anti-racist activist, and Dr. Amilcar Shabazz, professor and former president of the National Council for Black Studies, the book weaves their perspectives into the narrative, emphasizing the importance learning from the past. For fans of The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander and The Color of Abolition by Linda Hirshman, In Defiance is both a testament to those who fought for justice and an inspiration for those who continue the struggle today.

About the authors: 

• Tom Weiner is a Northampton-based writer, educator, and anti-racism activist who taught for 40 years at Smith College Campus School and co-facilitated workshops on developing healthy boys. He also initiated efforts for a Reparations Commission in Northampton, MA.
• Dr. Amilcar Shabazz is a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and former president of the National Council for Black Studies. A renowned scholar and commentator, he has worked internationally and guided Amherst’s African Heritage Reparations Assembly in establishing one of the U.S.’s first funded reparative justice processes.

This event will also be livestreamed on the Forbes YouTube channel. Click here to view.