This course will explore how writing has been a constant and varied tool for political movements throughout history, and how certain genres of writing have been shaped by the needs and concerns of political struggle, from Black liberation to climate justice. We will explore writing and activism as a set of genres, including political reportage, columns, manifestos, press releases and poems, with readings from writers, scholars and political thinkers including Ida B Wells, Karl Marx, CLR James, June Jordan, Thomas Paine, Diane di Prima and many more. Throughout this course, students will produce their own original work, putting into practice what it can look like to write through the lens of activism.