In 'Kingdom of No Tomorrow,' a young woman joins the Black Panther Party

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Summary of "Kingdom of No Tomorrow" by Fabienne Josepha

Episode Overview Released on December 17, 2024, NPR's Book of the Day features Fabienne Josepha's compelling novel, Kingdom of No Tomorrow. Hosted by Ari Shapiro, the episode delves into the novel's exploration of revolutionary movements, particularly focusing on the Black Panther Party through the eyes of a young Haitian woman. The episode provides insightful discussions on the parallels between Haitian revolutionary history and the Black Panthers, highlighting the novel's research and emotional depth.

1. Introduction to the Book and Author The episode begins with Andrew Limbong introducing Kingdom of No Tomorrow by Fabienne Josepha. He sets the stage by linking revolutionary costs in the US and Haiti, framing the novel's narrative about a young woman from Haiti who joins the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.

2. Author’s Background and Inspiration Fabienne Josepha shares her personal connection to the subject matter, particularly how her Haitian upbringing influenced her portrayal of the Black Panthers.

• Quote: "After the death of Trayvon Martin, I felt I was emotionally overwhelmed with everything that was going on in the country. I stumbled upon a documentary on the Black Panthers and I realized the more that I was learning about them that they were very familiar to me." (01:24)

Josepha explains that her familiarity with the Black Panthers stems from her father's reading shelf in Haiti, where she grew up, and how this background inspired her to draw parallels between Haitian and African American revolutionary movements.

3. Parallels Between Haitian History and the Black Panthers The conversation highlights the similarities between Haiti’s fight against colonialism and the Black Panthers’ struggle for African American rights.

• Quote: "The Haitian history is steeped in the revolution that it had to conduct in order to free itself from colonialism. And when we're in the 60s, we're observing a movement where people are trying to free themselves from the same types of issues." (02:10)

Josepha emphasizes that both movements share a common goal of revolution and community protection, illustrating how these themes resonate across different cultures and historical contexts.

4. Themes and Achievements of the Black Panthers in the Novel Josepha delves into specific aspects of the Black Panthers that her novel highlights, particularly their community programs and advocacy for health research.

• Breakfast Program:

  • Quote: "I think maybe what the Panthers achieved in terms of the breakfast program is maybe the most known fact." (03:39)

  Josepha discusses how the Black Panthers' free breakfast program for children has a lasting legacy, inspiring contemporary school breakfast initiatives.

• Sickle Cell Anemia Research:

  • Quote: "As a member of the party, she's researching and running testing on sickle cell anemia. In the 60s, there was very little known or there was very little attention paid to the numbers and how much it was affecting the African American population." (04:07)

  The novel features Nettie, the protagonist, participating in research on sickle cell anemia, highlighting the Panthers' role in advocating for medical research and community health.

5. The Role of Fiction in Depicting Revolutionary Movements Ari Shapiro and Josepha discuss how fiction can humanize historical movements, providing emotional depth and personal perspectives that traditional narratives might overlook.

• Quote: "Fiction... brings the human element and tells us not just what happened, but how it made us feel in the moment." (04:56)

  Josepha hopes that her novel will rekindle passion for community protection and appreciation for the Black Panthers' contributions to social change.

6. Personal Influences and Dedication Josepha shares the influence of her late father on her work, detailing how their conversations during her research period deepened her understanding and commitment to the subject.

• Quote: "We had wonderful conversations... I think he was proud to see how much I had learned just and how much I was inspired just by him having these books and him learning about that history." (05:36)

  She dedicates the book to her father, honoring his role in shaping her perspectives and inspiring her literary endeavors.

Conclusion Fabienne Josepha's Kingdom of No Tomorrow offers a nuanced portrayal of the Black Panther Party through the lens of a Haitian immigrant. By intertwining personal narrative with historical research, the novel sheds light on the broader implications of revolutionary movements and their lasting impact on communities. NPR's Book of the Day episode provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of the book's themes, the author's motivations, and the enduring legacy of the Black Panthers.

Notable Quotes Overview

• Fabienne Josepha on Her Inspiration: "After the death of Trayvon Martin, I felt I was emotionally overwhelmed..." (01:24)
• On Haitian and Black Panther Parallels: "The Haitian history is steeped in the revolution that it had to conduct..." (02:10)
• On the Breakfast Program: "What the Panthers achieved in terms of the breakfast program is maybe the most known fact." (03:39)
• On Fiction's Role: "Fiction... brings the human element..." (04:56)
• On Her Father’s Influence: "I think he was proud to see how much I had learned..." (05:36)

This episode serves as an insightful guide for listeners interested in revolutionary literature, offering a blend of historical context, personal narrative, and literary analysis.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. There are costs to a revolution. That's true here in the US and it's true in other countries too, such as in Haiti. The two countries are linked in the novel Kingdom of Notamar by Fabienne Josepha. It's about a young woman in the 1960s who leaves Haiti for the States and gets involved with the Black Panthers. In this interview with NPR's AR Shapiro, Josepha talks about what the revolutionary movements here and in Haiti had in common and what it takes for a movement to succeed. That's coming up.

[Charles Schwab]

This message comes from Charles Schwab. When it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices like full service, wealth management and advice when you need it. You can also invest on your own and trade on think or swim. Visit schwab.com to learn more support for this podcast and the following message come from Autograph Collection hotels with over 300 independent hotels around the world, each exactly like nothing else, Autograph Collection is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of hotel brands. Find the [e-mail] Sometimes history can help.

[Ari Shapiro]

Us better understand the present. The author Fabienne Josepha had that experience back in 2012 when she found helpful lessons from the Black Panther movement of the late 1960s.

[Fabienne Josepha]

After the death of Trayvon Martin, I felt I was emotionally overwhelmed with everything that was going on in the country. I stumbled upon a documentary on the Black Panthers and I realized the more that I was learning about them that they were very familiar to me. And then I remember that it's because I grew up with the Black Panthers on my father's reading shelf.

[Ari Shapiro]

That shelf was in Haiti, where she grew up. Today, Josepha lives in South Florida, and she's written a new novel about the Black Panthers called Ken Kingdom of no Tomorrow. The protagonist, Nettie, is a young woman who moved from Haiti to Oakland, California. Josepha told me she thinks the Black Panther movement feels familiar to Haitians because it is about revolution.

[Fabienne Josepha]

The Haitian history is steeped in the revolution that it had to conduct in order to free itself from colonialism. And when we're in the 60s, we're observing a movement where people are trying to free themselves from the same types of issues. And in terms of the Black Panthers really protecting their community from the brutality of the police, but also to effect change in the community and take care of their people, I think those are elements that were recognizable to me and I really wanted to Draw a parallel between both cultures, because at the end of the day, I see a lot of similarities.

[Charles Schwab]

Well.

[Ari Shapiro]

And I also wonder if bringing in the perspective of Haiti brings in the recognition that a revolution can succeed.

[Fabienne Josepha]

I believe that a revolution can succeed, but we have to look at what success looks like. I think that we have to take into account the repercussions, which is what I think Huey P. Newton was talking about in terms of revolutionary ideal, is that the revolutionary person has to realize that first and foremost, it is a doomed person because you have to embrace the consequences. And unfortunately for the Black Panthers and. And for the Haitian people, we are seeing the consequences of that need for revolution.

[Ari Shapiro]

As you were working on this novel, you did tons of research. The bibliography is long. Will you tell us a specific thing you discovered? A fact, a quote, a moment that just blew your mind, Something that you bring up at dinner parties to this day?

[Fabienne Josepha]

I think maybe what the Panthers achieved in terms of the breakfast program is maybe the most known fact.

[Ari Shapiro]

The breakfast program, of course, was giving free food to kids whose families might not have been able to afford it.

[Fabienne Josepha]

Exactly. And today we're still continuing that model of feeding kids in the morning with free breakfast in schools. I think that a lot of people do know about this, but they also probably don't know about the other achievements. And what I chose, this issue of sickle cell anemia in the novel was to.

[Ari Shapiro]

Your main character, Nettie, is participating in a research program into sickle cell anemia and treatment.

[Fabienne Josepha]

Yeah, exactly. Yes. So as a member of the party, she's researching and running testing on sickle cell anemia. In the 60s, there was very little known or there was very little attention paid to the numbers and how much it was affecting the African American population. And so the Black Panthers were the ones that pushed for that research, even started a foundation. And that was a fact that I thought was really interesting. When I bring this up, I realized a lot of people were not aware.

[Ari Shapiro]

There are so many narratives about the Black Panthers, from scaremongering propaganda to authoritative biographies and histories. How do you hope this book fits into that and shapes people's understanding of the movement?

[Fabienne Josepha]

I find that fiction, what fiction does, is bring the human element and tells us not just what happened, but how it made us feel in the moment. And so I'm hoping that this book will reanimate that passion for wanting to love and protect community, but also for wanting to appreciate the real history and see the Panthers for the giants that they really were in terms of wanting to affect change in their community.

[Ari Shapiro]

I don't know if your father is still alive, but how does he feel or would he have felt about you creating this work of fiction based on the history that he was so passionate about?

[Fabienne Josepha]

My father is no longer alive, but when I was writing and researching he was, and so we had wonderful conversations. It's interesting because I never had those conversations with him when I was a kid. But I had the chance just a few weeks before he passed away to have those conversations with him. And I think he was proud to see how much I had learned just and how much I was inspired just by him having these books and him learning about that history. So I hope that he's proud wherever he is right now. And I dedicated the book actually to him.

[Ari Shapiro]

Fabienne Josepha her novel is Kingdom of no Tomorrow. Thank you so much for talking with us.

[Fabienne Josepha]

Thank you, Ari.

[GoodRx]

Support for NPR and the following Message come from GoodRx Looking for relief from cold and flu symptoms? With GoodRx you can save an average of $34 on cold and flu medications plus find savings on everyday prescriptions. GoodRx lets you compare prescription prices at over 70,000 pharmacies and instantly find discounts of up to 80%. Even if you have insurance or Medicare, Good GoodRx may beat your copay price. Save on cold and flu prescriptions and [e-mail] book this message comes from BetterHelp.

[Charles Schwab]

Working to make therapy more convenient, flexible and affordable. BetterHelp is committed to helping people manage their well being and mental health through therapy. Visit betterhelp.com NPR for 10% off your first month.

[GoodRx]

This message comes from GiveWell. GiveWell provides rigorous, transparent research about the best giving opportunities so that donors listeners can make informed decisions about high impact giving. To learn more, go to givewell.org and pick podcast and enter NPR at checkout.