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Organizing America: Stories of Americans Who Fought for Justice
From the acclaimed author of A History of America in Ten Strikes, a sweeping account of the impact of organizers on United States history
We are living through a tidal wave of protests and activism in America. These movements sometimes seem to spring from nowhere, but beneath them all is a deeper river of social change work known as organizing.
Author of the celebrated A History of American in Ten Strikes (a Kirkus Reviews best book of 2018), Erik Loomis uncovers a rich and revealing history by turning to stories about key organizers throughout America’s past. In twenty short biographies, Organizing America shows how one movement has influenced another over time—and how the movement leaders’ personal histories influenced them toward changing the world. A chronological story with a vast sweep, Organizing America considers a cross section of social justice activists across time, race, gender, and movement, examining lives as varied as Benjamin Lay, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Eugene V. Debs, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Bob Moses, Saul Alinsky, Yuri Kochiyama, Harvey Milk, Alicia Garza, Bill McKibben, and many more. The result is a history of the United States viewed through some of its most important changemakers.
With an introduction that explains what organizing is and how collective action works, Loomis sets a tone that is both practical and historical—providing context and inspiration for anyone seeking to step into the work of social change in America.
We are living through a tidal wave of protests and activism in America. These movements sometimes seem to spring from nowhere, but beneath them all is a deeper river of social change work known as organizing.
Author of the celebrated A History of American in Ten Strikes (a Kirkus Reviews best book of 2018), Erik Loomis uncovers a rich and revealing history by turning to stories about key organizers throughout America’s past. In twenty short biographies, Organizing America shows how one movement has influenced another over time—and how the movement leaders’ personal histories influenced them toward changing the world. A chronological story with a vast sweep, Organizing America considers a cross section of social justice activists across time, race, gender, and movement, examining lives as varied as Benjamin Lay, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, Eugene V. Debs, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn, Bob Moses, Saul Alinsky, Yuri Kochiyama, Harvey Milk, Alicia Garza, Bill McKibben, and many more. The result is a history of the United States viewed through some of its most important changemakers.
With an introduction that explains what organizing is and how collective action works, Loomis sets a tone that is both practical and historical—providing context and inspiration for anyone seeking to step into the work of social change in America.
272 pages, Hardcover
Published August 12, 2025
3 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Erik Loomis
7 books40 followersErik Loomis is an associate professor of history at the University of Rhode Island. He blogs at Lawyers, Guns, and Money on labor and environmental issues past and present. His work has also appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Dissent, and the New Republic. The author of Out of Sight and A History of America in Ten Strikes (both from The New Press) as well as Empire of Timber, he lives in Providence, Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 7, 2025
this was such a hopeful and inspiring read. the author takes care to emphasize that organizers who have created great change are also just people with their own flaws, motivations, and values. they're not perfect and idolization is a major flaw that often stops us from trying to "reach the level" of people whose public legacy is an incomplete narrative. this book emphasizes that everyday people are some of the biggest drivers of change despite often going unrecognized, and that we the people especially in today's times hold more power than we think. an engaging historical read with a lot of great points and a strong inspirational tone.
June 1, 2025
"Organizing America: Stories of Americans Who Fought for Justice" – A Public Health Call to Collective Action
Review by Sarah Jensen, Public Health Practitioner
Erik Loomis’s Organizing America is a stirring tribute to the unsung heroes of social change—one that left me both inspired and acutely aware of public health’s debt to grassroots movements. As someone who works at the intersection of policy and community health, I’ve seen how systemic inequities are often addressed only after relentless pressure from organizers. Loomis’s book doesn’t just recount history; it reignites a urgent question for our field: Are we allies in the fight for justice, or merely bystanders?
Why Public Health Needs This Book
Loomis’s narrative shines a light on the tenacity of ordinary people demanding dignity—labor activists, civil rights warriors, and marginalized communities who refused to accept oppression as inevitable. Their stories resonated deeply with my work:
-The Power of Collective Action: Public health often focuses on individual behavior change, but Loomis reminds us that transformative health equity—from workplace safety to Medicaid expansion—stems from organized movements. His accounts of strikes and protests made me reflect: How many of our “evidence-based interventions” owe their existence to these struggles?
-Structural Violence as a Health Crisis: The book’s depiction of systemic racism, exploitative labor conditions, and corporate greed mirrors the root causes of health disparities I confront daily. Loomis’s framing of justice as non-negotiable (rather than incremental) challenged my own complacency.
Emotional Resonance & Professional Provocation
Reading this book felt like holding up a mirror to public health’s contradictions. I felt:
-Admiration: For the organizers who risked everything—reminding me that data alone won’t dismantle inequity without activism.
-Frustration: At how often our field co-opts the language of justice while remaining risk-averse. (How many health departments would truly support a unionizing effort among their own underpaid staff?)
-Hope: Loomis’s stories of unlikely victories left me energized to advocate more boldly.
Constructive Criticism
While the book is compelling, I’d offer:
-Public Health Connections: A chapter explicitly linking historical organizing to contemporary health justice movements (e.g., COVID-19 mutual aid, disability rights in healthcare) would strengthen relevance for practitioners.
-Intersectional Depth: Some narratives felt centered on class and labor; more exploration of how race, gender, and disability intersected in these struggles would align with public health’s equity frameworks.
-Lessons for Institutions: How can institutional allies (like health agencies) support—not co-opt—grassroots efforts? Practical takeaways would help readers like me navigate bureaucratic constraints.
Final Verdict
Organizing America is more than a history—it’s a playbook for health justice. Loomis’s vivid storytelling and unflinching analysis left me questioning whether public health is healing systems or merely managing them. For practitioners seeking to move beyond Band-Aid solutions, this book is a clarion call to embrace solidarity over saviorism.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) – A must-read, with room for deeper public health integration.
Gratitude: Thank you to The New Press and Edelweiss for the free review copy. This book has already influenced how I approach community partnerships.
Review by Sarah Jensen, Public Health Practitioner
Erik Loomis’s Organizing America is a stirring tribute to the unsung heroes of social change—one that left me both inspired and acutely aware of public health’s debt to grassroots movements. As someone who works at the intersection of policy and community health, I’ve seen how systemic inequities are often addressed only after relentless pressure from organizers. Loomis’s book doesn’t just recount history; it reignites a urgent question for our field: Are we allies in the fight for justice, or merely bystanders?
Why Public Health Needs This Book
Loomis’s narrative shines a light on the tenacity of ordinary people demanding dignity—labor activists, civil rights warriors, and marginalized communities who refused to accept oppression as inevitable. Their stories resonated deeply with my work:
-The Power of Collective Action: Public health often focuses on individual behavior change, but Loomis reminds us that transformative health equity—from workplace safety to Medicaid expansion—stems from organized movements. His accounts of strikes and protests made me reflect: How many of our “evidence-based interventions” owe their existence to these struggles?
-Structural Violence as a Health Crisis: The book’s depiction of systemic racism, exploitative labor conditions, and corporate greed mirrors the root causes of health disparities I confront daily. Loomis’s framing of justice as non-negotiable (rather than incremental) challenged my own complacency.
Emotional Resonance & Professional Provocation
Reading this book felt like holding up a mirror to public health’s contradictions. I felt:
-Admiration: For the organizers who risked everything—reminding me that data alone won’t dismantle inequity without activism.
-Frustration: At how often our field co-opts the language of justice while remaining risk-averse. (How many health departments would truly support a unionizing effort among their own underpaid staff?)
-Hope: Loomis’s stories of unlikely victories left me energized to advocate more boldly.
Constructive Criticism
While the book is compelling, I’d offer:
-Public Health Connections: A chapter explicitly linking historical organizing to contemporary health justice movements (e.g., COVID-19 mutual aid, disability rights in healthcare) would strengthen relevance for practitioners.
-Intersectional Depth: Some narratives felt centered on class and labor; more exploration of how race, gender, and disability intersected in these struggles would align with public health’s equity frameworks.
-Lessons for Institutions: How can institutional allies (like health agencies) support—not co-opt—grassroots efforts? Practical takeaways would help readers like me navigate bureaucratic constraints.
Final Verdict
Organizing America is more than a history—it’s a playbook for health justice. Loomis’s vivid storytelling and unflinching analysis left me questioning whether public health is healing systems or merely managing them. For practitioners seeking to move beyond Band-Aid solutions, this book is a clarion call to embrace solidarity over saviorism.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) – A must-read, with room for deeper public health integration.
Gratitude: Thank you to The New Press and Edelweiss for the free review copy. This book has already influenced how I approach community partnerships.
November 22, 2025
Written in that conversational style that's familiar to readers of his blog. Very accessible, a good assignment for undergrad history courses.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews