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".
Marble Falls The sixties get a lot of play in the memory and memoirs bank, deservedly. A lot was happening around cultural and political changes as the civil rights movement tailed off, the welfare rights movement and anti-poverty efforts ascended, and the Vietnam antiwar protests hit their zenith. The early 70’s doesn’t get …
Oakland We’ve always been clear, organizing is an art, not a science. We count everything of course and measure the probabilities closely in order to predict turnout, growth, staff development, and a host of other things, but mostly that is necessary to provide the infrastructure. It doesn’t change the organic nature of the work …
Pearl River Transparency, specificity, certainty, clarity, and more are important operating and communications principles. When it comes to strategy and tactics, experienced organizers know these same principles may not work as well when it comes to exerting pressure to create change. Kyle Crawford argued on Wade’s World and in his book, Ambiguity is the Answer …