Calling All Radicals: How Grassroots Organizers Can Save Our Democracy [Paperback]

Gabriel Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A marvelous book, which is both instructive and inspiring. If taken to heart by the coming generation, it could have a profound effect on the history of this country."

About the Author

Gabriel Thompson is the Director of Organizing at the Pratt Area Community Council (PACC), a community-based organization which works in the neighborhoods of Central Brooklyn. He speaks regularly to college students about organizing, and has designed a leadership development program for inner-city high school students. Thompson is the author of There’s No Jose Here and writes for The Nation, the San Jose Mercury News, the Los Angeles Times, The Brooklyn Rail and Our Time Press (the monthly newspaper of Central Brooklyn).

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568583672
• ISBN-13: 978-1568583679
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,262,846 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Gabriel Thompson has contributed to New York, The Nation, New York Times, Brooklyn Rail, In These Times and others. He is the recipient of the Richard J. Margolis Award, the Studs Terkel Media Award, and a collective Sidney Hillman Award. His writings are collected at www.WhereTheSilenceIs.org. The author of There's No José Here and Calling All Radicals, he lives in Brooklyn.