Community Organizing Leaders Speak Out About "Actual Responsibilities"
Faith-based community organizing leaders are speaking out today about the “actual responsibilities” of community organizers and their tremendous impact every day on the lives of millions of Americans.
Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s remark last night -- that her experience as “a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities” -- reflects the fact that many of our political leaders have no idea what community organizing is or how it impacts the lives working people in communities across America every day.
Community organizers are equipping tens of thousands of clergy and lay leaders in thousands of congregations across America to take effective action to improve the lives of millions of Americans. PICO, Gamaliel, DART, and Interfaith Worker Justice are four of the congregation-based community organizing networks dedicated to this work.
“As a life-long Republican, the comments I heard last night about community organizing crossed the line. It is one thing to question someone’s experience, another to demean the work of millions of hard working Americans who take time to get involved in their communities. When people come together in my church hall to improve our community, they’re building the Kingdom of God in San Diego. We see the fruits of community organizing in safer streets, new parks, and new affordable housing. It’s the spirit of democracy for people to have a say and we need more of it,”
said Bishop Roy Dixon, prelate of the Southern California 4th ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, member of the San Diego Organizing Project and former board chair of PICO. PICO is comprised of 53 faith-based organizations and 1,000 faith communities from 50 denominations working in 150 cities and town and 17 states.
"We can thank community organizing for the weekend, the 8 hour day, integrated swimming pools, public transportation, health care for children and safe neighborhoods. Community organizing is behind most of the family-oriented initiatives we benefit from every day. I am proud to work for change in my country, my state, and my city as a community organizer, following the great traditions of Dr. Martin Luther King,"
said Laura Barrett, National Policy Director of Gamaliel/Transportation Equity Network (TEN). Gamaliel is a multifaith community organizing network in 60 metro regions in the US, as well as Great Britian and South Africa. 2,000 faith congregations, student groups and unions are involved in Gamaliel.
“Contrary to Palin’s disparaging remarks, organizers have major responsibilities for creating policy changes. Feeding the hungry and housing the homeless are clearly responsibilities of people of faith. We do that by providing food and shelter and more importantly, by organizing to address the causes of injustice and inequity which lead to hunger and homelessness,”
said Kim Bobo, Executive Director of Interfaith Worker Justice and the co-author of “Organizing for Social Change.”
Interfaith Worker Justice includes 60 affiliates and 20 workers centers and organizes people of faith to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions for workers, especially low-wage workers.
“Politicians should thank community organizers, not insult them. As a longtime organizer, I’ve seen time and time again the we are the ones who make government work for the poor, the powerless and the marginalized. Politicians’ policies and promises would amount to nothing without grassroots activists to hold them accountable. We are leaders of faith and stewards of democracy. In a time when the face of faith in politics is often ugly, community organizing is a valuable example faith’s positive role in public life,”
said Pastor Mark Diemer, senior pastor of Grace of God Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio and a DART community organizer. DART has built and strengthened over twenty local affiliated organizations in six states and trained over 10,000 community leaders and 150 professional community organizers.
Comments
Community organizers are the ones spending countless hours helping others, uniting people and making a real difference. These are everyday people stepping outside their own lives and giving of themselves to help others. Social justice at work. Faith in action. We should applaud and support all those who work in our communities and Palin should apologize for her sarcasm and rethink her tactics before she puts down hard-working Americans again.
Posted by: kallanach | September 4, 2008 05:21 PM
Sad to see this slander of Community Organizers, people who have been the very cornerstones of our communities and our progress.
What we need is for this to be a rallying cry - to encourage people to donate time and money to help their community and community organizers. Let's put our money and time where Palin's mouth is.
Mr. Obama should call for people to donate to community groups to show how important they are.
Posted by: Lu Yen | September 4, 2008 06:27 PM
Jesus was a community organizer.
Pontius Pilate was a governor.
Posted by: Erich | September 4, 2008 06:32 PM
Community organizing is the root of change. This is why the republicans are mocking Obama and those who get involved. Do you want 4 more years of an administration who makes decisions behind closed doors and tells us that they don’t need anything from us except blind faith? Obama asks us to get involved and take responsibility in our homes, our communities and our nation. Thats change.
Posted by: R Abrams | September 5, 2008 01:10 PM
When you mock community organizers, you mock those that work for little money or volunteer to a cause greater than themselves. You mock community health clinics that vacinate and immunize the poor and elderly, you mock groups that rehab low income housing and find housing for the poor, you mock before and after school problems for at risk and latch key kids, you mock youth clubs, and food banks, and clothing banks, and neighborhood watch, and telephone crisis hotlines, and fundraisers for parks, and rec centers, and community festivals that raise money for causes that the taxpayers cannot afford. You mock everyone that serves others. Shame on Palin, Thompson, Guiliani, and McCain. These people that call themselves Christians and Patriots but how can they be these things when they spew such hollow sentiments with such relish?
Posted by: xargaw | September 5, 2008 03:18 PM
In addition to all your comments on faith based organizing and social organizing (which is very important), think of the local community volunteer who takes time to organize little League baseball, organize visits to hospitals and old age homes, looks after the autism patients, provides welcome relief to care-givers weekly, organizes drivers to transport stay-at-home patients to hospital and appointments, and many other local volunteers who have all have been slandered by Sarah Palin. Let her know you are outraged.
Posted by: Jim Lochrie | September 5, 2008 04:06 PM
I can remember during an election in BC Canada that one minister of the rather right wing government was asked what he could say about the recent organization of Food Banks in BC.
He said " It's great! The Lefties with jobs are feeding the Lefties without jobs!"
You might just find that certain politicians and their constituents have a similar feeling towards the poor and disabled n and those who serve them, no matter what they say in public. SO it is no wonder that community work is undervalued and even underscrutinized.
p hughes
Posted by: p hughes | September 5, 2008 04:57 PM
Jesus was a community organizer, Pontius Pilate was a governor.
Posted by: Nakisha Winston | September 5, 2008 05:03 PM
I STILL don't understand what was so great about bashing community organizers. Sarah isn't the only one who did it; Rudy (kinda fits, right?) did it too.
I think this was the dumbest thing they could have done. It sort of reinforces the notion that the GOP and McCain/Palin ticket is out of touch.
Posted by: Toni | September 5, 2008 05:57 PM
Oh PLEEEZE stop it, you're killing me. I have been involved for 25 years working with youth, building stuff in Baja for the disadvantaged, feeding the homeless, she wasn't mocking me or others doing that. Because I've done all that am I qualified to run for president? Hardly. That was the point people!!! Mr. Obama is a nice guy, but according to Mr. Biden he is not qualified for the oval office. (Does anyone remember his saying that?)I'm not saying he is or isn't. Just give her a break. If she was a democrat I'm sure you would be praising her every word. Sorry.
Posted by: Bill Kastrinos | September 5, 2008 07:21 PM
People grow up! Where were you when she was being attacked by the media for here experience? Not a word....
I am sure people can be proud of a being a community organizer but this is a position that is volunteered not elected.
A mayor and a govenor is an elected position whether it is an small town or large city. People in these positions are responsible for the well-being ALL people in a city and of makes sure that ALL services in the city serve the people at ALL times!
Most community organizers or activist are only concerned with a portion or small grouping. Try organizing all the members of a city or organizing the budget for a city... Then perhaps you may actually have the same resposiblities of a town mayor or govenor.
You people have some audacity to even think you can compare your job with an elected position. Guess what, who is the mayor you last voted for? You need to thank them for doing the job that you don't have to do.
Posted by: chrystal | September 5, 2008 07:46 PM
Martin Luther King was a community organizer.
George Wallace was a governor.
And a double twist: John McCain voted against Martin Luther King's birthday becoming a national holiday.
Posted by: Fred Ceancis | September 6, 2008 02:23 AM
I doubt I am voting for McCain, but she has a point. There is more responsibility as far as being an executive when it comes to being a mayor or governor.
Community organizers have a responsibility to their community, but they don''t have control of an entire city or state's budget.
I think she should have used a different word, but her basic point is valid.
I also don't know how this is related to "Faith in Public Life".
Posted by: Wydok | September 6, 2008 12:35 PM
Just in case anyone is interested, Obama had this to say about it when questioned by a reporter. Sums it up perfectly I'd say:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SwwO00aWqM
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"So this is work I did [20] years ago. They haven't talked about the fact that I was a civil rights lawyer; they haven't talked about the fact that I taught constitutional law; they haven't talked about my work in the state legislature or in the United States Senate. They're talking about the three years of work that I did right out of college as if I'm making the leap from two or three years out of college into the presidency.
So, look, I would argue that doing work in the community to try to create jobs, to bring people together, to rejuvenate communities that have fallen on hard times, to set up job training programs in areas that have been hard hit when the steel plants closed. That that's relevant only in understanding where I'm coming from, who I believe in, who I'm fighting for and why I'm in this race. And the question I have for them is that why would that kind of work be ridiculous? Who are they fighting for? What are they advocating for? They think that the lives of those folks who are struggling each and every day, that working with them to try to improve their lives is somehow not relevant to the presidency?
I think maybe that's the problem -- that's part of why they're out of touch and they don't get it 'cause they haven't spent much time working on behalf of those folks."
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For a more fair comparison, Palin got a job as a sportscaster when she finished college with her Bachelor's in Journalism. And anyone who wants to compare Obama's last two decades worth of resume between then and now with Palin's is going to have a fun time trying to fill in the entries on Palin's side.
Having that woman walk out in front of the nation to ridicule the qualifications of a man who dwarfs her own qualifications, and to turn community service into the punchline of a joke to do it, was unconscionable. But I have come to expect nothing better from that group.
Posted by: Grant | September 6, 2008 05:42 PM
Sarah Palin, Juliani & Co. are demeaning people on one hand and asking their votes on the other hand. How could someone so disrespectful and extremist be a VP? I am a Christian and believe me, Jesus was compassionate. I am so ashamed that people like Sarah Palin give such a bad reputation to the Christian faith. The world is watching...She claims being a christian and she spends her time insulting people? She must read a different Bible and definitely not obey the God I believe in.
Posted by: Zoe | September 6, 2008 06:13 PM
I am European, therefore I cannot vote for the USA elections. Nevertheless, I am shocked not only because a potential VP/President of the USA dares to talk like she does but also because some Americans are laughing and justifying her despicable attitude. As Zoe said, I am having a hard time believing that Mrs Palin is a christian who believes in the God of love described in the Bible. And no apology? hmmm...I hope that your future President and VP understand your struggles: I read somewhere that "Jesus was a community organizer and Pontius Pilate was a governor".
Posted by: Oliver | September 6, 2008 06:42 PM
I am not able to vote in the American election because I am a Canadian but I am shocked at McCain's judgement by selecting this woman from Alaska who nobody in The other 49 states seem to know, and what a Christian she is by mocking Community Organizers! I Pray Obama wins as he is a breath of fresh air!
Posted by: Marlene | September 7, 2008 09:31 PM
Along the same lines it would also work to remember: “Moses was a Community Organizer; Pharaoh was a Governor.” - Chris Lieberman
Posted by: Chris | September 8, 2008 10:46 PM
Community organizers are like classroom teachers who go into the fields (classrooms) to do the HARD work improving the lives of people(students, parents, and communities). Just take a moment and think: what this world would be like without Community organizers. I wondered about this thought after reading this little story called: "A World Without Black People".
http://www.emeagwali.com/african-american/inventors/world-without-african-american-inventors.html
Community Organizers deserve as much gratitude as our Military men and women. Would [you] venture into some of these neighborhoods that many of our Community Organizers visit daily? Please remember, when Community Organizers help improve a community, that work makes life better for all -rich, middle-class AND poor.
Posted by: Barbara | September 9, 2008 01:59 PM
It's great to see a defense of community organizing, but it is too easy to sink to the level of those who originally criticized (http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/religion). Palin is no Pontius Pilate.
Posted by: Brett | September 9, 2008 10:18 PM