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With the publication of "Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism and the Future", Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards proved they knew how to reach socially conscious Generation X and Y readers. The authors took their message about Third Wave feminism on an extensive and ongoing speaking tour, founding their own progressive speakers' bureau, Soapbox, Inc. The natural next step, therefore, was to share with readers what they've learned-how all of us can make enormous contributions to the issues important to us.
"GRASSROOTS: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism" is a handbook for social justice. Aimed at everyone from students to professionals, stay-at-home moms to artists, the book offers answers to the question Jennifer and Amy are most often asked: What can I do?
Whether you are concerned about the war in Iraq, terrorism, the environment, human rights violations, campus sexual assault policies, sweatshop labor, or gay marriage, Baumgardner and Richards believe that we all have something to offer in the fight against injustice. Based on the authors' own experiences, and the stories of both the large number of activists they work with as well as the countless everyday people they have encountered over the years, "GRASSROOTS" encourages people to move beyond the "generic three" (check writing, calling congress people, and volunteering) and make a difference with practical guidelines and models applicable to a diverse range of issues. Comprised of useful, effective advice written in a lively accessible style and based on the actual, current experiences of grassroots organizers across the country, the book will inspire readers to recognize the tools right in front of them-be it the office copier or the family living room-in order to make change.
Where "Manifesta" riled up students and young people to change the world, "GRASSROOTS" will provide the ideas and moral support for burgeoning activists everywhere. No matter how much or little time they have to offer, young people can create a world that more clearly reflects their values.
About the authors:
Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards are regularly in demand to comment on social justice issues around the U.S. and abroad, appearing everywhere from NPR to Oprah to the U.N. Their continual presence on campuses across the country has been one of the reasons their previous book, "Manifesta" (2000), has sold so steadily and strongly. Winona Laduke, who has written the introduction, is an environmentalist, Native American rights activist, and 2000 vice-presidential candidate on Ralph Nader's ticket. She is a leading and respected voice in progressive politics.