Holding Corporate America's Feet to the Fire

"The hope and future of America lies with its radicals." Saul Alinsky wrote these words in his book Reville for Radicals, which is a guide to organizing working class communities. He wrote these words in 1946 amid a new boom in the American economy after World War Two. Renewed optimism was in the hearts of many war veterans as they placed their hope in the GI Bill. Although the war confirmed America as a world super power and gave spirited faith in the American dream, there was a concurrent narrative unfolding. Social disparities persisted as many ethnic and working class groups remained marginalized. The denial of the American dream to these people during such prosperous times exacerbated the need for political and economic empowerment. This book unravels the history of how grassroots community groups fought for economic and political justice through community organizing culminating with an intriguing case study of how one such group in New York successfully secured jobs from Eastman Kodak, then one of the largest companies in the world. This book is rich in educational value as well as written in a compellingly easy to follow prose.