Axioms for Organizers, a booklet produced by the Neighbor to Neighbor Education Fund (San Francisco, 1989).
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ross
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Ross
Fred Ross (1910 – 1992) was an American community organizer. He founded the Community Service Organization (CSO) in 1948, which, with the support of the Industrial Areas Foundation, organized Mexican Americans in California. The CSO in San Jose, CA gave a young Cesar Chavez his first training in organizing, which he would later use in founding the United Farm Workers. Ross also trained the young Dolores Huerta in community organizing.[1]
Ross worked with Edward Roybal and other Mexican-Americans to form the CSO in East Los Angeles, and Roybal became its first President. This chapter of the CSO became politically active and help to elect Roybal to the City Council of Los Angeles in 1949, the first Mexican-American to serve as such since the 19th century.[2]
Contents
[hide]Fred Ross, Sr., was probably the most influential (but little-known) community organizer in American history. It was Ross who first identified, recruited and trained Cesar Chavez to become a leader and an activist. Ross’s influence continues in the thousands of people whom he taught the tools of organizing and in the ideas found in this powerful little book, republished today as an e-book in English and Spanish. Ross’ son, Fred Ross, Jr.—also a terrific organizer—added a chapter to the e-book called "Organizing in the Internet Age," and included a short biography of his father. I added an introduction.
Ross organized people to challenge police brutality, fight segregation, and become politically powerful, teaching people how to channel their anger and frustrations into the creation of powerful grassroots organizations that could win concrete victories. He understood the central importance of discipline, hard work, and patience.
