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Calling All Radicals

How Grassroots Organizers Can Save Our Democracy

Gabriel Thompson
September 2007     ISBN: 1568583672

Drawing upon his years as a community organizer in Central Brooklyn, writer and activist Gabriel Thompson makes the case for reclaiming our democracy through grassroots activism, illustrating the impact it can have.

For example, 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 widespread media attention and forcing the owner to allow them to stay. And when children in Central Brooklyn were suffering from lead poisoning at alarming rates, Thompson designed a campaign to train inner-city high school students to test neighborhood homes. The findings--that one in 3 were dangerous--forced New York City officials to pass legislation holding landlords responsible for hazardous properties.

Calling All Radicals argues that everyone is capable of community organizing. It explains key tactics, leadership development, conducting research, and working effectively with the media. But it is also a call to action: its aim is to build a movement with the aim of restoring American democracy at the grassroots level.

About the Authors

Gabriel Thompson writes for New York magazine, The Nation, The Brooklyn Rail, and In These Times. He lives in New York City.
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