This course will explore how writing has been a constant and varied tool for political movements throughout history up until today, and how certain genres of writing have been shaped by the needs and concerns of political struggle, from Black liberation to climate justice. Taught by author and political journalist Natasha Lennard, the class 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 reported and genre-specific work, putting into practice what it can look like to write through the lens of activism. The class will feature a host of guest speakers celebrated for their work as political writers: award-winning poets; political reporters from Hell Gate, The Guardian, The New York Times, among other publications; political organizers including tenants' rights activists, immigrant rights organizers, and the coordinators behind Mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign. Students will engage directly with current social movements in New York City to learn directly how their writing can inform and be informed by activist practices.