Voices Of Liberation: Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was a scholar, writer, environmental activist, human rights champion, and Nobel Prize laureatte. In her life and thought, she tenaciously sought to expose the precarious lives of people across a variety of communities: women, rural communities, political prisoners, Kenyans, Africans, and citizens of the global South saddled with the burdens of international debt.

She is without doubt a worthy subject for the latest addition to the Voices of Liberation series, published by the HSRC Press. Wangari Maathai’s registers of freedom explores the multiple legacies of her life and offers readers a glimpse into the life and thought of one of the 20th century’s most remarkable woman.

The Voices of Liberation series ensures that the debates and values that shaped the liberation movement are not lost. By providing access to the thoughts and original texts written by

or about some of the many men and women who fought for the dismantling of apartheid, colonialism and the capitalist legacy, this series invites the contemporary reader to engage directly with the rich history of the struggle for democracy. The source texts written by the eponymous subject are framed in an analytical lens that provides context and relevance for the modern reader. The title of the series speaks to its purpose, which is not only to make a particular voice resonate through a collection of original writings but to strengthen the ‘voices’ from the South and, in particular, from Africa.