WADE RATHKE is the founder of ACORN, Chief Organizer at ACORN International, and Author of "Nuts & Bolts", "Citizen Wealth", "Global Grassroots", and "The Battle for the 9th Ward".
New Orleans Just plain luck found me in a series of meetings in California’s East Bay in Oakland and Berkeley at the same time there was a special one-night showing of American Agitator about Fred Ross and to some degree his son, Fred Ross, Jr. I was excited to go and convinced Charles …
Berkeley This may not have been on the top of your list, but when organizers, young or old, get together informally to catch up and have a cup of coffee, you might wonder what they talk about? Maybe not? They talk about organizing. Who is doing it? Who isn’t? What’s the same? What’s different? …
New Orleans There’s no question. A dues-based organizing model for community organizations and informal worker associations is a tough road to follow, even if all of the other variables are great. Members pay for the organization; therefore, it’s theirs in ownership, participation, and governance. This was the path that ACORN has travelled for …