Abolition refers to the act of officially ending or stopping something, such as the abolition of slavery. The abolitionist movement was a social and political movement that aimed to end slavery and liberate enslaved people around the world. Abolitionists called for the immediate, unconditional, and total abolition of slavery in the United States.

According to Derecka Purnell, abolition is a verb, a practice that consists of the actions we take to build safety and to tear down harmful institutions. Abolitionists believe that creating safety demands more than tried and failed reforms, it demands abolition. Abolition is about presence, the presence of life-giving systems that allow people to thrive and be well, that prevent harm and better equip communities to address harm when it occurs.

Abolitionists do not have all the answers, but they are committed to finding them together. Abolition requires recognizing the complexity of harm and the indispensability of humanity. It consists of the actions we take to build safety and to tear down harmful institutions. People do abolition every day when they connect to their community, learn how to take accountability, and foster communal responsibility for preventing and responding to harm.

In summary, abolition refers to the act of officially ending or stopping something, such as slavery. The abolitionist movement aimed to end slavery and liberate enslaved people around the world. Abolition is a verb, a practice that consists of the actions we take to build safety and to tear down harmful institutions. It requires recognizing the complexity of harm and the indispensability of humanity. People do abolition every day when they connect to their community, learn how to take accountability, and foster communal responsibility for preventing and responding to harm.