Rosa Parks and organizing

[colist-admin at comm-org.utoledo.edu]

[ed:  a couple of responses, from Nelda and John, on Laura's questions.]

From: Nelda K Pearson <npearson at runet.edu>

More sources for reading about Rosa Parks at Highlander and the activities
around the start of the boycott are:

Septima Clark Ready from Within
      Septima was the Director of Education at Highlander and the
mover/shaker of the Citizenship Schools

Elliot Wiggington  Refuse to Stand Silently By
        This is a collection of interviews from folks who were active in
the civil rights and labor movements and had some contact with Highlander.
Interviews with Rosa Parks, E.D. Nixon, Septima Clark and Bernice
Robinson all throw light on what happened.

Brenda Robnett  How Long?How Long?   This an analysis of the role women
played as leaders in the Civil Rights Movement and has a chapter
specifically on the the activities around the beginnings of the boycott
including information on those who refused to give up their seat but were
not "good" test cases. This is VERY well annotated book and the
bibliography is an escellent source for further reading.

Also, as a heads up for those of you interested in going to Highlander,
the workshop that I (Nelda Pearson) and John Wallace are doing at
Highlander May 26-28 is full and has a waiting list.  We will be doing
another workshop September 15-18, 2000 topic to be decided.  We will also
be doing three in the year 2001.  I'll keep you apprised of those dates
and topics as well.

Nelda K. Pearson
Professor, Dept of Soc/Anth
Radford University
Radford, VA. 24141
540-831-5159
npearson at runet.edu


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From: John Gaudette <gaudette at forward.net>

In resonse to Laura's comments:
 From what I have read regarding this conversation about Rosa Parks, I =
didn't see anyone trying to devalue her accomplishment.  I think people =
were addressing another underlying 'urban legend' that organizers run =
accross when dealing with the press and foundations.  That is that they =
see community organizing as some artificial tool that manipulates the =
community and creates only certain types of leaders.  =20

I think community organzing is the only viable tool that has a patient =
enough process to develop folks closest to the problem =
(disenfranchised).  It is most other movements that have community =
outreach as a sidebar on their grant proposal that skim and leech off of =
neighborhoods.

My experience suggests that isolated people just deciding to change =
things, rarely ever happens.  Only when there is a strong and active =
organization can those who are very isolated (disenfranchised) get the =
opportunity and time to develop their gifts and develop real power.  As =
far as less- disenfranchised folks holding down very disenfranchized =
folks, I am not sure that a real organizing structure would allow this =
to happen.  Organizers and leaders are always trying to find those =
closest to the problem willing to get involved and develop.  "Those who =
do the work, get the rewards", a key principle that keeps organizations =
from becoming insitutionalized and controlled by the few.

John Gaudette