Playbook for Progressives: 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer

Eric Mann

$18.00

Publication Date: August 9th, 2011

Publisher:

Beacon Press

ISBN:

9780807047354

Pages:

232

Description

An organizing manifesto for the twenty-first century, Playbook for Progressives is a must-have for the activist’s tool kit. This comprehensive guide articulates pragmatically what is required in the often mystifying and rarely explained on-the-ground practice of organizing. Here, Eric Mann distills lessons he learned from over forty years as an organizer, as well as from other organizers within the civil rights, labor, LGBT, economic justice, and environmental movements.

About the Author

Eric Mann is director of the Los Angeles–based Labor/Community Strategy Center and cofounder of the Bus Riders Union. He is the author of six books and has worked extensively with many organizations, including the Congress of Racial Equality, Students for a Democratic Society, and the United Auto Workers. He lives in Los Angeles.

Praise for Playbook for Progressives: 16 Qualities of the Successful Organizer

“In addition to his descriptions of a successful organizer's qualities and roles, his insider view of activism, and his thorough knowledge of participants and parties through the years, gives this book its value”—Publishers Weekly

“An Art of War for organizers around the world. Buy ten copies and pass them on.”—Mike Davis

"We desperately need change. We need to reclaim and rebuild real democracy. The skills of organizing that Eric Mann shares in Playbook for Progressives are the life blood of democracy, human rights, social and economic justice, and planetary survival."—Vandana Shiva, author of Soil Not Oil and Earth Democracy

“Eric Mann has written an essential field guide for community organizers. His voice is crisp and clear, and his footsteps on the pavement are sharp. A pragmatic primer for all radicals.”—Vijay Prashad, author of The Darker Nations: A People’s History of the Third World

“Eric Mann is a bridge builder, a gifted organizer who unites Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and whites in the fight for social justice and change. Playbook for Progressives is the Rules for Radicals for the twenty-first century.”—Rodolfo Acuña, author of Occupied America: A History of Chicanos

“Based on concrete examples of organizers who transformed their countries, communities, and workplaces, Playbook for Progressives is a beacon that effectively illustrates the techniques and skills of transformative community organizing. A must-read for individuals and organizations that want to change the ideological and economic roots of oppression.”—Melvin H. King, emeritus faculty, MIT; author of Chain of Change; and founder of the South End Technology Center