Guiding Questions

• What makes a protest or movement effective?

• Why is organizing more powerful than acting alone?

• How can ordinary people build extraordinary change?

From Outrage to Organizing

Anger can spark a protest.

But only organizing can build a movement.

Organizing means turning emotion into strategy — and people into power.

It’s not just about showing up — it’s about staying, building, and planning.

Examples from history:

• The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955–56) lasted over a year — and led to Supreme Court victory

• The Filipino farmworkers who organized with César Chávez sparked a national movement for fair labor

• Greta Thunberg started alone — but organized Fridays for Future with youth across the globe

What Makes Organizing Work?

Successful justice movements often share key ingredients:

• Shared Vision – A clear goal (e.g. voting rights, clean water, police reform)

• Leadership – Not just one person, but empowered teams

• Strategy – A long-term plan with steps, not just slogans

• Training – Teaching others how to speak, organize, and lead

• Persistence – Staying committed even when progress is slow

• Nonviolence – Discipline that wins respect and avoids backlash

Philosophical Perspectives

Saul Alinsky – Rules for Radicals

Power is not given — it’s organized. Real change comes when people learn how to build influence from the ground up.

bell hooks

Love is a political act. Organizing rooted in community, care, and dignity can heal wounds as well as resist injustice.

Antonio Gramsci

Change begins not only in laws — but in culture and ideas. Organizing must challenge the way people think, not just how they vote.

A Thought Experiment

Imagine your school or neighborhood faces a serious problem:

unsafe streets, unjust discipline, polluted air, or housing insecurity.

You and a few friends want to do something.

You could:

• Write a petition

• Organize a meeting

• Share stories on social media

• Contact local leaders

• Plan a peaceful demonstration

Which would you choose first?

How would you bring others in?

What obstacles might arise — and how would you prepare?

Organizing Tools That Work

• Storytelling – People connect through lived experiences, not just facts

• Coalitions – Join forces across race, class, age, and background

• Training & Mentorship – Build the next generation of leaders

• Mutual Aid – Help one another survive while working for change

• Nonviolent Direct Action – Disrupt the status quo without harming others

• Art & Culture – Music, murals, and poetry inspire and mobilize

Reflect and Discuss

• Have you ever been part of a group that created change? What worked?

• Why is organizing harder — but more powerful — than acting alone?

• If you could start one justice project in your community, what would it be?

Suggested Readings

• Saul Alinsky – Rules for Radicals

• bell hooks – Teaching to Transgress

• Marshall Ganz – Why David Sometimes Wins

• Alicia Garza – The Purpose of Power

• adrienne maree brown – Emergent Strategy