Roots to Power: A Manual for Grassroots Organizing

by Lee Staples

When ordinary people band together to gain more control over their life conditions, the first order of business is to organize in pursuit of collective action. This how-to manual presents strategies, tactics, methods, and techniques that community members can use to set their own goals, select issues, campaign for these issues, recruit members, develop leaders, hold effective meetings, conduct research, lobby politicians and legislators, and get the word out to the media.

The author brings more than three decades of experience to the task of explaining root principles for developing and exercising collective power; he moves effortlessly from such broad discussions into providing specific tips for effective organizing methods and techniques. Armed with the information in this book, any community can bring about social change through collective action.

Genres: Nonfiction, Activism, Social Justice, Political Science, Professional Development

371 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1984

Reviews

[Jeffrey Pedro]

Lee Staples shares invaluable information regarding grassroots organizing and maintaining their relevance. While written in 2004, there is so much that readers can still learn and adopt when thinking about creating an organization or joining one. Topics included:

•using research to determine the need for organizing
•how gatekeepers play a role in reaching out to members of a community
•the importance of face-to-face/ door-to-door communication in establishing a core base of organization members
•membership dues and how to motivate members to contribute
•keeping organizers engaged in social issues and how to avoid losing momentum
•tools and kits organizers can use to apply pressure on their targets
•anticipating how your targets will react to your tactics
•different methods of applying pressure and the best ways to get targets to respond to your demands
•the importance of direct action
•coalition building and associated strengths and weaknesses
•the do’s and dont’s of community organizing

Due to the year of publication, some of the information regarding technology was a little outdated. Overall, a solid manual for anyone interested in grassroots organizing!

[Robert Furiel]

While community organising is (and should be) a practice, not theory, this book gives your practice good foundation, new ideas and puts together aspects you might have never seen written down before. It's not too easy to read (no diagrams or pictures, lol) but it can be a good theoretical back-up to any menior CO.

[Wench]

So I'm a little biased because I have the pleasure of knowing Lee, but this is a really good, thorough manual on community organizing. Lee doesn't just give you basic steps, he walks you through the theory behind organizing and how to apply it. I love the treatment of power dynamics and insider-outsider organizer concerns. If you are organizing anything social justice or community-related, I highly recommend this book.

[Jaime]

Lee's incredible. Humblest person I've ever met.

[Toby]

Lee is awesome...so is the book. I especially enjoy the emphasis on one-on-one's.

[kristen]

For my Public Health class.