Central IN DSA Reading Group: "No Shortcuts: Organizing for Power in the New Gilded Age"

From the publisher: “In No Shortcuts, Jane McAlevey argues that progressives can win, but lack the organized power to enact significant change, to outlast their bosses in labor fights, and to hold elected leaders accountable. Drawing upon her experience as a scholar and longtime organizer in the student, environmental, and labor movements, McAlevey examines cases from labor unions and social movements to pinpoint the factors that helped them succeed - or fail - to accomplish their intended goals. McAlevey makes a compelling case that the great social movements of previous eras gained their power from mass organizing, a strategy today's progressives have mostly abandoned in favor of shallow mobilization or advocacy. She ultimately concludes that, in order to win, progressive movements need strong unions built from bottom-up organizing strategies that place the power for change in the hands of workers and ordinary people at the community level.”

If our wonderful socialist libraries were open, we'd recommend checking out a book there. Feel free to ask on our Facebook page, if you'd like to borrow a copy; there may be someone who has one and is willing to lend it (taking appropriate precautions to sanitize the cover, etc.) Otherwise, you can order a copy directly from the publisher here (instead of giving Amazon any more $$$): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/no-shortcuts-9780190868659

The first discussion session for “No Shortcuts” will be next Thursday, June 25th, at 7pm and will run till 9pm EST, using Zoom. Please be prepared to discuss Chapter 1! We'll then meet every two weeks after that, Thursdays, at 7pm, until we've finished the book!

Sponsored by