I went door-knocking for the first time in the Mott Haven projects in the South Bronx. My college class had visited the dingy basement office of ACORN (the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), in 2004 the largest community organizing outfit in the country. We were split into pairs, given clipboards, and sent into the hallways to talk with residents about … [Read more...] about New Tools Needed: Community Organizing
Practice
Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Photo: Jim West, jimwestphoto.com, cropped from original. We know good organizers when we meet them. They’re accessible. They listen and show respect. They react calmly to all kinds of people, take their time to size up a situation, and engage people on their own terms. They brim with suggestions for action, but they’re open to new ideas. They’re not bossy. They … [Read more...] about Where Do Good Organizers Come From?
Base-Building and Workers’ Self-Inquiry
Illustration by Corey Brickley The emergence of the base-building trend is a very welcome development. It signifies a theoretical and practical advancement for revolutionary praxis in the US, which has been floundering and flailing for decades, unable to keep up with the restructuring of global capitalism or truly face off against its social, political, and military … [Read more...] about Base-Building and Workers’ Self-Inquiry
Slumlords Beware: An Interview with Omaha Tenants United
Anna Swanson: What is the purpose of your organization? Mark: I see this group as participating in long-term class consciousness raising and building political power outside of the traditional structures here. I talk about this all the time, but I see us as operating in the void that the Democratic Party leaves in politics. Seth: I think that, like Mark mentioned, the big … [Read more...] about Slumlords Beware: An Interview with Omaha Tenants United
On Base-Building: An Interview with Malik from Silk City Socialists
Malik is an organizer from Silk City Socialists, an independent socialist organization in Paterson, New Jersey. Paterson is the second most densely populated city in the U.S., with a long history of both labor struggle and sharp racial oppression. We spoke with Malik about Silk City’s base buling projects and socialist organizing in the 21st century. Red Compass: What … [Read more...] about On Base-Building: An Interview with Malik from Silk City Socialists