Calling All Radicals

How Grassroots Organizers Can Save Our Democracy

Contributors

By Gabriel Thompson

On Sale
Sep 28, 2007
Page Count
256 pages
Publisher
Bold Type Books
ISBN-13
9781568583679

American democracy is seemingly in retreat. Voting rates are at an all time low, citizens are disillusioned, and inequality continues to soar. But there is also a belief that change is possible. Calling All Radicals argues that we can reclaim our democracy in the old fashioned way — through grassroots organizing. Gabriel Thompson draws upon his own experience of working within local communities to demonstrate its immediate impact. Some examples: When a brother and sister were being evicted from their home of 73 years, the community responded by staging a protest in front of the landlord’s home — gaining media attention and forcing the owner to allow them to stay. With children in Central Brooklyn suffering from lead poisoning, Thompson designed a campaign that trained inner-city high school students to test neighborhood homes and found that 1 in 3 were dangerous — forcing NYC officials to act by pushing through citywide legislation that held landlords responsible for implementing more proactive steps to fix hazards. Calling All Radicals argues that everyone is capable of community organizing. It explains the key tactics of organizing, leadership development, conducting research, and working effectively with the media.

Formats and Prices

Price

$19.99

Price

$25.99 CAD

Format

Trade Paperback

Format:

Trade Paperback $19.99 $25.99 CAD

Gabriel Thompson

About the Author

Gabriel Thompson writes for New York magazine, the Nation, the Brooklyn Rail, and In These Times. The author of There’s No Joséere, he lives in Brooklyn, New York.

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