Barbara Smith is one of the most committed and effective social justice activists whose name you do not know. She has been on the frontlines of social change through the civil rights movement as well as fighting for the liberation of working class people, women and LGBTQ communities. In 2005 she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work. However, like so many grassroots activists who devote themselves to changing the systems that oppress us, the stories of their strategies and sacrifices remain under-told and under-appreciated. Barbara and her allies embody a distinct approach rooted in a Black female organizing tradition shaped by legendary foremothers like Sojourner Truth and Fannie Lou Hamer. One of 1199’s own, the distinguished Alethia Jones, PhD, has recently published a book that documents 40 years of Barbara Smith’s groundbreaking voice and contributions to our struggles. The book blends unpublished interviews with fellow activists with hard-to-find historical movement documents and weaves them together to raise tough questions about the past and draw useful lessons about the future of social justice activism.
In 2007, an editor at SUNY Press approached Barbara with the idea of a book of conversations and interviews about her life. Barbara approached Dr. Jones, then a professor of political science at SUNY-Albany, about editing the book. “When an icon lives next door and asks you to do something, you say yes. I was deeply interested in learning how someone who was such an outsider radical activist ended up as a local elected official pushing the envelope on making changes in education, housing, policing and immigration policies. I have a deep belief that if radical activists get involved in electoral politics, they can accomplish incredible changes that our communities really need. I wanted to learn how she did it.” Barbara was elected to the Albany NY Common Council (City Council) in 2005, representing a district where the failures of the political establishment on providing good jobs, schools, policing and other services were evident. She has succeeded in getting real changes citywide by building coalitions. One of their successes is the retirement of the 4-term mayor and the election of the first progressive Democratic woman who won without the party’s endorsement.
Alethia hopes readers are inspired by this book and will use it to reflect on the dynamics of social change and the practice of movement building. “We fight to change systems of oppression because we know that the people and communities we love and care about deserve respect and dignity.” Building coalitions for liberation takes extraordinary dedication, passion and skill to do well. But the power structure does not reward people who are committed to overturning it. “That’s the reason why my co-editor and I are donating 100% of the money earned from the book to Barbara Smith.” Most grassroots social justice activists don’t have jobs that provide pensions.
Alethia Jones immigrated to the US from Kingston, Jamaica at age 11. She is currently the 1199SEIU UHWE Director of Education and Leadership Development. A graduate of Columbia University, with a PhD from Yale, she served as assistant professor of politics and policy at SUNY-Albany from 2005-2011. She completed the book before joining 1199 in 2012. She co-authored SEIU’s curriculum, “SEIU & Immigration Reform: Why We Care” (2010, with Maria Robalino) and published “Identity Politics: Part of a Reinvigorated Class Politics,” in the New Labor Forum (Spring 2010).
In 2007, an editor at SUNY Press approached Barbara with the idea of a book of conversations and interviews about her life. Barbara approached Dr. Jones, then a professor of political science at SUNY-Albany, about editing the book. “When an icon lives next door and asks you to do something, you say yes. I was deeply interested in learning how someone who was such an outsider radical activist ended up as a local elected official pushing the envelope on making changes in education, housing, policing and immigration policies. I have a deep belief that if radical activists get involved in electoral politics, they can accomplish incredible changes that our communities really need. I wanted to learn how she did it.” Barbara was elected to the Albany NY Common Council (City Council) in 2005, representing a district where the failures of the political establishment on providing good jobs, schools, policing and other services were evident. She has succeeded in getting real changes citywide by building coalitions. One of their successes is the retirement of the 4-term mayor and the election of the first progressive Democratic woman who won without the party’s endorsement.
Alethia hopes readers are inspired by this book and will use it to reflect on the dynamics of social change and the practice of movement building. “We fight to change systems of oppression because we know that the people and communities we love and care about deserve respect and dignity.” Building coalitions for liberation takes extraordinary dedication, passion and skill to do well. But the power structure does not reward people who are committed to overturning it. “That’s the reason why my co-editor and I are donating 100% of the money earned from the book to Barbara Smith.” Most grassroots social justice activists don’t have jobs that provide pensions.
Alethia Jones immigrated to the US from Kingston, Jamaica at age 11. She is currently the 1199SEIU UHWE Director of Education and Leadership Development. A graduate of Columbia University, with a PhD from Yale, she served as assistant professor of politics and policy at SUNY-Albany from 2005-2011. She completed the book before joining 1199 in 2012. She co-authored SEIU’s curriculum, “SEIU & Immigration Reform: Why We Care” (2010, with Maria Robalino) and published “Identity Politics: Part of a Reinvigorated Class Politics,” in the New Labor Forum (Spring 2010).
