Topic: Si Kahn -- Creative Community Organizing (Grassroots Leadership)
Participant: Si Kahn (Social Activist, Songwriter, Author, Founder and Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership)
Host: Pat Leahan
Summary: We visit with Si Kahn, who has worked for nearly 45 years as a civil rights, labor and community organizer. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Grassroots Leadership, from which he is about to retire. Si is on the "Standing for Justice 1980-2040 National Tour" celebrating Grassroots Leadership's 30th anniversary. One of their most recent victories was getting 150 children out of the so-called "immigrant family detention center" (the Hutto prison in Taylor, TX).
We talk about the origins of the field of Social Work, focusing on the profession of Community Organizing. We briefly discuss Si's books, including his latest -- "Creative Community Organizing: A Guide for Rabble Rousers, Activists, and Quiet Lovers of Justice." We touch on a wide variety of topics including prison privatization, corporate personhood, genetically-modified foods, advocating for workers' rights, supporting locally-owned and locally-operated businesses, and more.
We play 3 awesome songs from Si's soon-to-be-released "Courage" album: "Otis is Flying," "Custodian," and "Peace Will Rise."
Resources: Si Kahn's Official Website http://www.sikahn.com/
Grassroots Leadership http://www.grassrootsleadership.org/ ("Grassroots Leadership's goal is to strengthen democracy and enhance the public good by working to transform the justice system. We advocate for a community-based justice system and alternatives to incarceration, work to end the unnecessary practices of immigrant and family detention, abolish all for-profit private prisons, jails and detention centers and organize with those most impacted by incarceration and detention.")
United World College-USA http://www.uwc-usa.org/
Pat'sExtraNotes: Thank you, Dennis, for engineering today's progam! Today's show was pre-recorded at the United World College-USA.
Thank you, David, for our CPR intro music: http://www.DavidRovics.com/