A Community Organizer's Tale: People and Power in San Francisco

Mike Miller

Saving the Mission District from bulldozers

The rise and fall of the multi-issue Mission Coalition Organization is recounted in A Community Organizer's Tale, a richly detailed story of people power set in San Francisco's predominantly Latino Mission District. Employing strategies inspired by community organizer Saul Alinsky and the Deep South civil rights movement, the organization defeated urban renewal, negotiated jobs for the unemployed, and protected low-income tenants from exorbitant rents until it was ultimately weakened by federal "Model Cities" funding. Embodying the concept, recently returned to the public eye by its proponent, Barack Obama, that "change comes from below" and combining colorful stories, lessons on organizing for social and economic justice, public policy analysis, a keen eye for American politics, and reflection on democratic theory, this is a thoughtful and hopeful antidote to cynicism, apathy, and powerlessness.

Advanced Praise

"Mike Miller has become known as one of the most experienced community organizers in the nation."

"This stunning work is a worthy successor to Saul Alinsky's Reveille for Radicals. It is filled with lessons for community organizers, funders, and community and religious leaders."

"This book challenges today's community organizers to learn from the past. Agree or disagree with its conclusions, but read it!"

"The author's candor and self-reflection are a refreshing contrast to the usual 'I was there and made a difference' accounts of urban planners, politicians, and community organizers."

"This is an organizer's story, a rare and unique book that takes us into the heart of urban organizing and is informed by the perspective and sensibility rooted in Mike Miller's years working at the grass roots for social change North and South. It is a must-read for anyone who wants more than rhetoric."

About the Author

Mike Miller was born in San Francisco’s Mission District. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and did graduate work in sociology at Berkeley and Columbia University. He directed community-organizing projects in Kansas City and San Francisco before starting ORGANIZE! Training Center. He has taught urban studies and political science at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and elsewhere. His articles on social justice issues have appeared in many publications, including Christianity and Crisis, Dissent, and the San Francisco Examiner. Visit organizetrainingcenter.org for more information.