In this work, Cynthia G. Franklin critically engages with life writing and contemporary crises in the U.S. regarding who is recognized as human. She introduces a new analytical framework centered on "narrative humanity," "narrated humanity," and "grounded narrative humanity," emphasizing concepts of humanity that arise from movement politics. While "narrative humanity" often reinforces the status quo, Franklin argues that "narrated" and "grounded" forms articulate ways of being human essential for thriving amidst crises driven by racial capitalism, imperialism, heteropatriarchy, and climate change. Through chapters on Hurricane Katrina, Black Lives Matter, the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, and the Native Hawaiian movement to protect Mauna a Wākea, she demonstrates how life writing can challenge dominant dehumanization narratives that perpetuate violence. Franklin posits that life narratives can foster ways of being human inspired by contemporary political movements rooted in queer kinship, inter/national solidarity, abolitionist care, and decolonial connectivity among humans, land, and waters. By engaging with writers, artists, and activists who inspire radical relationality, she blurs the lines between autobiography, community activism, and literary criticism, embodying her own acts of narrated humanity.
