Hi friends,
Today’’s the big day! After years of research, inspiring discussions with activists and much anticipation, Practical Radicals: Seven Strategies to Change the New World, the new book I’ve co-authored with Stephanie Luce, is finally out in the world and available for purchase.
At a time when so much is at stake – from our climate to our economy to the state of our democracy – the strategies we offer in our book feel especially timely for progressive activists, organizers and advocates who fighting to win huge battles ahead. We’ve seen the seven timeless strategies we profile help some of our nation’s most successful grassroots movements win in the face of enormous opposition, and we’ve seen a number of them revived to great effect in the past year by workers, voters and progressive coalitions who’ve enacted sweeping and significant change, even with the odds heavily stacked against them. We’re excited to share them with you all as our collective fight to build a better society continues.
Organizers often talk about power – in Practical Radicals we explain what power is and isn’t and describe six forms of power used throughout history by “overdogs” and “underdogs.” We explore the struggle to abolish slavery and the effort by elites to impose the system of neoliberalism as touchstones. We also discuss topics like: how overdogs in business, the military, and politics develop strategy and what we can learn from them, how we address conflict in movements, how organizations and social change leaders can get better at strategy (great strategists are made, not born!), and explore methods for developing long term, multi-generational and ecosystem wide strategies.
I’d like to extend a huge thanks to all of our friends and collaborators who helped make Practical Radicals possible. For those of you who’d like help to promote the book, please feel free to give Practical Radicals a little love on your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. If you’re short on time, you can use these pre-drafted social media posts and creatives/graphics as they are written or adjust them for your voice.
Eager to preview the book before it’s out? Today in The Nation, Stephanie and I revisit some of the strategies used by previous generations to change history and examine how progressives can harness them to win big today. And over at The Advocate, we consider how The Gay Men’s Health Crisis’s effective use of collective care during the AIDS crisis can inspire today’s social change movements looking to build strength and solidarity.
You’ll find case studies of some amazing organizations and movements, past and present, like Make the Road New York, the welfare rights movement, Occupy Wall Street, 350.org, the Fight for 15 and a Union, and more.
Look forward to celebrating with you all at our book launch event this Friday, November 10th, at CUNY’s School of Labor and Urban Studies (in-person and online options available). The reception begins at 5pm ET, with a discussion following at 6pm, led by the amazing Cristina Jimenez, and a book signing at 7:30pm. If you haven’t already, you can register here. (If you're not in NYC, you can register to watch online).
With much gratitude,
deepak