Organizing Activism

Why do some fights for justice hit a wall while others succeed? What does it take to win social change, especially now? It comes down to understanding one thing: the difference between presence and power. Failing to do so is one way we got into this mess, but understanding how power really works...

Books about the Kennedys are legion. Yet missing until now has been the exploration of the bond between Jack and Bobby, and the part that it played in their rise and fall. Richard D. Mahoney gives us Jack and Bobby in all their hubris and humanity, youthfulness and fatalism. Here is American history as it unfolds. The Kennedy Brothers is a fresh and masterful account of the men whose legacy continues to hold the American imagination.

An Invitation to Community and Models for Connection After almost every presentation activist and writer Mia Birdsong gives to executives, think tanks, and policy makers, one of those leaders quietly confesses how much they long for the profound community she describes. They have family, friends...

How did a once faceless bureaucrat, a man whose own wife said he was born under the sign of the vampire, become the idealized face of Russian manhood and its authoritarian leader? Deputy Mayor Putin examines the man behind the myth. We will explore how Putin’s formative years shaped and drove him and how the supporting cast of characters he gathered along the way helped him get to the Kremlin’s inner sanctum.

A handbook for how political power really works, what it takes to make change happen “[This book] addresses a central question of this age: what, exactly, citizens who are unhappy with national politics can do, other than write a check or await the next chance to vote .” — The Atlantic In...

This program is read by multiple-award-winning narrator JD Jackson. #1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas E. Ricks offers a new take on the civil rights movement, stressing its unexpected use of military strategy and its lessons for nonviolent resistance around...

“Through elegant writing, masterful storytelling, and prodigious research, Weiss takes us on a journey for freedom.” —Carol Anderson, New York Times bestselling author The acclaimed author of the “stirring, definitive, and engrossing” (NPR) The Woman’s Hour returns with the story of...

The wisdom acquired during C. T. Vivian's lifetime is generously shared in It's In the Action, the civil rights legend's memoir of his early life and time in the civil rights movement. Vivian worked hand in hand with the movement's most famous figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, and his contributions were no less vital to the successes of nonviolent resistance. Bearing a foreword from Andrew Young, It's in the Action is an important addition to civil rights history from Vivian and coauthor Steve Fiffer.

The astonishing story of immigrants lured to the United States from India and trapped in forced labor—an "eye-opening" "must-read" told by the visionary labor leader who engineered their escape and set them on a path to citizenship (The New York Times Book Review). ​ In late 2006, Saket Soni...

What fuels and sustains activism and organizing when it feels like our worlds are collapsing? Let This Radicalize You is a practical and imaginative resource for activists and organizers building power in an era of destabilization and catastrophe. Longtime organizers and movement educators Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes examine some of the political lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and consider what this confluence of power can teach us about a future that will require mass acts of care, rescue, and defense, in the face of both state violence and environmental disaster.

The astonishing little-known history of Harlem racketeer Madame Stephanie St. Clair, one of the only female crime bosses and a Black, self-made businesswoman in early twentieth-century New York. In her heyday, Stephanie St. Clair went by many names, but one was best known by all: Madame Queen...

Big change doesn’t just happen in Washington or on the steps of Wall Street. It begins in kitchens, classrooms, and church basements in towns you’ve never heard of. Activism in Small Places uncovers the powerful, true stories of everyday people who transformed their small communities—and in doing so, influenced the nation.Inside, you’ll discover: Inspiring case studies of small-town citizens who fought for clean water, fair wages, safe schools, and racial justice. Ordinary heroes—seamstresses, farmers, teenagers, and teachers—who discovered their voices and reshaped history. ...

A story of resilience and loss, love and family, Mark Oshiro's Anger is a Gift testifies to the vulnerability and strength of a community living within a system of oppression Six years ago, Moss Jefferies' father was murdered by an Oakland police officer. Along with losing a parent, the media' s...

The Community Organizing Handbook is based on many years of direct community organizing experience and teaching college level courses. This guide has been developed to empower ordinary people, volunteers, organizers and activists. This draws on some common experiences, ideas and enables people to be better equipped to organize. This guide focuses on three issues: the organization, the people, and the sources of their power. The organizations develop from street committee to mass movement, sustainable nonprofit, and can grow to corporate standards. In the process the leadership and the ...

Unlock the transformative potential of nonviolent activism and become a catalyst for positive social change with this comprehensive training manual. Rooted in the principles and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this guide empowers individuals to embrace the powerful philosophy of Kingian Nonviolence and create a more just and compassionate world. Prepare for action by understanding the importance of education, research, and strategic planning in driving effective nonviolent campaigns. Gain insights into successful coalition building and advocacy efforts while embracing the values of ...

The New Feminist Manifesto for Badass Moms. Acknowledging the dual role of mother and citizen, Scary Mommy writer and mom Farrah Alexander, provides empowerment and guidance for the modern progressive mother. Whether it’s correcting a misinformed family member about gender equality or running...

A warm, wise, and urgent guide to parenting in uncertain times, from a longtime reporter on race, reproductive health, and politics In We Live for the We, first-time mother Dani McClain sets out to understand how to raise her daughter in what she, as a black woman, knows to be an unjust -- even...

Winner of the Locus Award for Anthology From genre luminaries, esteemed organizers, and exciting new voices in fiction, an anthology of stories, essays, and interviews that offer transformative visions of the future, fantastical alternate worlds, and inspiration for the social justice movements...

“A manual for people who are tired of wringing their hands and are ready to roll up their sleeves.”—HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON Skye Perryman—TIME 100 honoree and CEO of Democracy Forward—offers an urgent, inspiring blueprint for how ordinary people can fight for freedom in extraordinary...

Rules for Revolutionaries is a bold challenge to the political establishment and the "rules" that govern campaign strategy. It tells the story of a breakthrough experiment conducted on the fringes of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign: A technology-driven team empowered volunteers to build and manage the infrastructure to make 75 million calls, launch eight million text messages, and hold more than 100,000 public meetings - in an effort to put Bernie Sanders' insurgent campaign over the top.