An Organizers Tale

The first major collection of writings by civil rights leader Cesar Chavez One of the most important civil rights leaders in American history, Cesar Chavez was a firm believer in the principles of nonviolence, and he effectively employed peaceful tactics to further his cause. Through his efforts, he helped achieve dignity, fair wages, benefits, and humane working conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. This extensive collection of Chavez's speeches and writings chronicles his progression and development as a leader, and includes previously unpublished material. From speeches to spread the word of the Delano Grape Strike to testimony before the House of Representatives about the hazards of pesticides, Chavez communicated in clear, direct language and motivated people everywhere with an unflagging commitment to his ideals. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The first major collection of writings by civil rights leader Cesar Chavez One of the most important civil rights leaders in American history, Cesar Chavez was a firm believer in the principles of nonviolence, and he effectively employed peaceful tactics to further his cause. Through his efforts, he helped achieve dignity, fair wages, benefits, and humane working conditions for hundreds of thousands of farm workers. This extensive collection of Chavez's speeches and writings chronicles his progression and development as a leader, and includes previously unpublished material. From speeches to spread the word of the Delano Grape Strike to testimony before the House of Representatives about the hazards of pesticides, Chavez communicated in clear, direct language and motivated people everywhere with an unflagging commitment to his ideals. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

Fred Ross Sr.’s AXIOMS FOR ORGANIZERS is a gem–a concise and inspired treasure trove of tips for people committed to building organizations and movements for social justice. It provides a stirring portrait of Ross, Sr., one of the most influential grassroots organizers of the 20th century, and spells out his philosophy and guiding principles for organizers. The bilingual (English-Spanish) AXIOMS FOR ORGANIZERS captures a lifetime of Ross Sr.’s work with disenfranchised and oppressed people and their struggle to win respect and dignity. As former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich writes in his glowing introduction to AXIOMS, "From the migrant farm worker camps of California’s Central Valley to the streets of Los Angeles, from union halls to the halls of state legislatures, Ross taught people of all backgrounds the art and science of standing up for their rights in the face of racism, bigotry and greed. He stirred the imagination and helped communities break down barriers and achieve the seemingly impossible. In the 1950s, Ross worked to build chapters of the Community Service Organization (CSO) throughout California, and it was during this time that he identified and mentored a young farm worker in San Jose named Cesar Chavez." Cesar Chavez once said of his mentor: "Fred did such a good job of explaining how poor people could build power, I could taste it." As Dolores Huerta recalled, "Fred Ross, Sr. changed my life. He inspired and taught me how to organize. He had so much faith in the power of ordinary people to make history." In AXIOMS FOR ORGANIZERS, Ross Sr. culls the lessons drawn from five decades of organizing experience under thematic headings followed by short nuggets of organizing gold. Chapters range from “Characteristics of a Good Organizer,” to “Fundamentals,” “Pitfalls,” “Hope, Motivation and Action,” and “Organizing in the Internet Age,” (the last chapter, a contribution by his son, legendary organizer Fred Ross, Jr.) In Fred Ross Sr. style, axioms are succinct and compelling. The duty of the organizer is to provide people with the opportunity to work for what they believe in. If you think you can do it for people, you’ve stopped understanding what it means to be an organizer. To inspire hope, you must have hope. To win the hearts and minds of people, forget the dry facts and statistics; tell them the stories that won you to the cause. When you are tempted to make a statement, ask a question. The first of its kind ebook, each chapter is laced together with archival photos and artwork portraying the array of social justice fights Ross Sr. helped lead. Black and white stills of Ross at work are combined with Roger Leyonmark’s lithograph, “American Nightmare,” memorializing the internment of Japanese Americans with whom Ross worked to secure housing and jobs and Rafael Lopez’s U.S. postal stamp design commemorating the 1947, precedent setting Mendez v. Westminster court decision, the forerunner to Brown v. the Board of Education. House Minority Leader and former Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi declared, “Fred Ross, Sr. left a legacy of good works that has given many the courage of their convictions, the powers of their ideals, and the strength to do heroic deeds on behalf of the common person.” United Farm Worker Organizer Jessica Govea Thorbourne summarized Ross Sr.’s impact this way: "Fred taught us how to turn our grief into action and hope. We learned to ‘tell our story,’ create a plan of action and to track our progress.” CA Governor Jerry Brown recently announced his selection of Fred Ross, Sr. into the California Hall of Fame in the Fall of 2014. This collection of Fred Ross Sr.’s axioms offers invaluable insight to his thinking and method. It is a roadmap for students of history and organizers seeking to continue the good fight and a must read for students, teachers and community, labor, immigrant and human rights organizers committed to social justice.

"Playing Bigger Than You Are: A Life in Organizing" is Stewart Acuff's story of his 30-year life in organizing. Be it organizing citizens for stop signs at a busy intersection in Memphis, successfully working to unionize the Atlanta Olympics, or guiding the nationwide organizing program of the AFL-CIO, we get a rare insight into the day-to-day struggles of an organizer. We meet a man who risked his life as a UN observer during elections in Sierra Leone, has spent time in jail, marched in the WTO "Battle of Seattle," and helped sidetrack Newt Gingrich during the 'Contract with America' days. In his foreword, Senator Bernie Sanders says "Stewart Acuff is one of the best when it comes to helping Americans organize to get things done."

IAF organizer and supervisor Arnie Graf tells five substantive stories from his work in San Antonio, Baltimore, Washington DC, Boston, and London that illustrate the "universal principles" of organizing developed by the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF), including power, self-interest, relational meetings, no permanent allies or enemies, breaking problems into issues, action in the reaction, the positives of tension, training and evaluation, and the necessity of people and their institutions to demand real respect and recognition rather than grudging tolerance in the public arena.

"The rise and fall of the multi-issue Mission Coalition Organization is recounted in [this book], a richly detailed story of people power set in San Francisco's predominantly Latino Mission District. ... [T]he organization defeated urban renewal, negotiated jobs for the unemployed, and protected low-income tenants from exorbitant rents until it was ultimately weakened by federal "Model Cities" funding. Embodying the concept ... that "change comes from below" and combining colorful stories, lessons on organizaing for social and economic justice, public policy analysis, a keen eye for American politics, and reflection on democratic theory, this is a thoughtful and hopeful antidote to cynicism, apathy, and powerlessness."--Back cover.

Sandi created the Lifetime Medical Organizer for the love of her family during a medical crisis with her father. As she created organizers for others, she realized the value it provided beyond her family’s needs. This value is what Sandi emphasizes in the Lifetime Medical Organizer as she shares her story of how the organizer came to life and her step-by-step guide with helping others to establish their own organizer. Creating an organizer without instructions is like baking a cake without directions. It is difficult to record and organize important information, in the same way it is to mix ingredients, if you do not know how to begin. The Lifetime Medical Organizer includes narrative pages for every form included in the book to walk you through the steps that are easy to follow and simple to understand. While writing this book, Sandi focused on how she could help you and those closest to you, to better manage the process that many are unprepared to deal with until it is too late. Whether you create an organizer for yourself, or a loved one, it will provide you with greater peace of mind in knowing that you are better prepared to help those you love. In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us. –Flora Edwards

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1971.

An Imaginoscope for Organizers offers practical exercises to use both individual and collective imagination to activate and mobilize creative organizing impulses. It proposes intellectual, symbolic and poetic food for thought and practice. Each chapter is a step on the quest for creative ideas and practices and introduces a language that can be used to invent and communicate your own.