15: NOELLE ON ‘THE THUNDER BEFORE THE STORM’ BY CLYDE BELLECOURT
On a warm spring-like day in early March, I visited the Detroit Public Library and I checked out the biography, An Open Life: Frida Kahlo, by Raquel Tibol. As I began to read, I reflected on how books like these influenced me greatly in my activism in Southwest Detroit. My reading list includes wide ranges of classic novels, contemporary works, and theory with which every political organizer and activist is equipped. But what fills me with revolutionary morale and inspiration are biographies and autobiographies of comrades throughout history. The autobiography that began it all was The Thunder Before the Storm by Clyde Bellecourt, which tells the story of the American Indian Movement (AIM).
The title is translated from Clyde Bellecourt’s Ojibwe name: Nee-gon-we-way-we-dun. It details his life from his childhood to the founding of the American Indian Movement in Minneapolis. What struck me about this book is its unapologetic and personal voice, making it seem like he was in the room talking with you face-to-face. He spoke about the Occupation of Wounded Knee, as well as the victories they’ve won for indigenous communities in the U.S., ranging from housing justice, legal rights, healthcare, and sovereignty. The fight still continues, but underlying it all was how he spoke on how AIM wouldn’t have achieved anything if it weren’t for the women, since women are the ones who uphold community and who have the largest stake in liberation.
This book highlights everything it takes to struggle against U.S. fascist and imperialist violence. Like other biographies/autobiographies, it reminds me that the struggles of the revolutionary histories we learn about are not just stories; they were led by real people, who had their own joys and sorrows, and the drive to continue the fight—just like how we continue to fight today.
– Noelle, April 2026
Noelle Belanger is a labor and political organizer based in Southwest Detroit. She is a member of The Communist Party USA, a contributor to the newspaper Peoples World, and an organizer with the People’s Assembly of Detroit, an immigration defense coalition formed during the second Trump administration to combat ICE violence and help protect immigrant neighbors.
Noelle has a Masters degree in cultural anthropology from Wayne State University, and she has a background in museum education. Her love for culture, history, art, and community inspired her to become a political organizer, as the struggle for a better world free from capitalist exploitation and the expressions of art and culture are in one essence; one cannot live without the other.
