The Democratic Promise Summary

740 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What are the importance of justice in the society

In the film, “The Democratic Promise”, Alinsky believed in social justice. In order to obtain social justice, Alinsky believed it was up to the people to go for it. The movie states a statement by Alinsky, “Only thing you’ll get, is what you’re strong enough to get.” (The Democratic Promise) It was not the money the people didn’t have it was the people themselves who could make a difference, only if the band together. Alinsky went in to the slums of Chicago, where he organized “The Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council”. The Council included, people from the churches, the union and over 100 organizations. In order to legitimized the union, Alinsky started targeting large corporations with the demands of equal and fair labor laws. In order …show more content…

In the beginning, the people were skeptical about a having a white man lead them, however, that soon changed. Alinsky created FIGHT. FIGHT made an agreement with Kodak, stating that they will provide 600 jobs to unemployed blacks. One of the men from Kodak confirmed with the agreement. However, later, Kodak re-nigged on the agreement. Alinsky did not allow them to get away with this. He came up with the idea to buy stock within Kodak and apply pressure at every shareholder meeting. This tactic forced Kodak back to the strategy table. Eventually, the people of FIGHT were …show more content…

The “East Brooklyn Congregations” was an organization who was fighting for housing projects to be built in the surrounding neighborhood. Alberta Williams (women of the church) and Irving Domenech (man in the neighborhood) and others from the community band together. Similar to Alinskys’ tactics, democracy starts with the people. People conversing about issues in their neighborhoods is the beginning to a successful plan. In the EBC a few people from the community came together and talked about the issues in the community and came up with a solution, “Nehemiah Plan” which was a plan to build affordable homes in their community. Again, similar to Alinsky, the organization applied pressure to the mayor by putting him on the spot. This tactic was to see if they can get him to say or agree with something he wouldn’t normally say or agree to. EBC threatened to stage a rally if the mayor didn’t attend their rally. The mayor showed up and it was confirmed that the Nehemiah project would

Show More
Related

  • UPS Strike

    1839 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tensions between union supporters and management began mounting in the years preceding the strike. In April of 1994, the International Union led a three-week strike against major tracking companies in the freight hauling industry in attempts to stop management from creating $9 per hour part-time positions. This would only foreshadow battles to come between management and union. Later, in 1995, teamsters mounted an unprecedented national union campaign in attempts to defeat the labor-management “cooperation” scheme that UPS management tried to establish in order to weaken the union before contract talks (Witt, Wilson). This strike was distinguished from other strikes of recent years in that it was an offensive strike, not a defensive one. It was a struggle in which the union was prepared, fought over issues which it defined, and one which relied overwhelmingly on the efforts of the members themselves (http://www.igc.org/dbacon/Strikes/07ups.htm).

    Read More

  • David Walker: Analysis of the Appeal

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ty of people, in this case, the black population, to take action against the corruption and oppression occurring in society. They are charged with standing up and fighting against such wrong-doings which are evident in society.

    Read More

  • Organized Labor Union of the late 1800s and its Impact Today

    1714 Words  | 4 Pages

    Modern democratic ideas were sprouting in America, especially within the organized labor movement from 1875 to 1900. During this period, blue-collar industrial Americans sought to abate their plight through the formal use of collective bargaining and the voice of the masses; seeking to use their strength in numbers against the pocket-heavy trusts. America’s rise in Unions can be traced back to 1792, when workers in Philadelphia formed America’s first union which instituted the avant garde method collective bargaining. It is because of these grass roots that America’s organized labor has continued to grow to this day, however not unchallenged. The challenges unions face today stem directly from the challenges faced in 1875. The organized labor movement from 1875 to 1900 is to blame for the problems unions face today as early labor unions crucified themselves politically, alienated themselves socially and failed to increase the socio-economic position of the worker, and in many cases only succeeded in worsening such positions.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions In The 1800's

    1440 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the history of the United States of America the continuation of misfortunes for the workforce has aggravated people to their apex, eventually leading to the development of labor unions.

    Read More

  • Reconstruction After the Civil War

    1850 Words  | 4 Pages

    against their employers, employees were able to go on strike and prove a point. Some

    Read More

  • Decline of Union Membership

    2292 Words  | 5 Pages

    Union affiliation was first seen in the 1600’s when the roots of the United States were just being planted with skilled trade groups such as artisans, laborers, goldsmiths and printers. Over the next two hundred years, unions developed their desires for higher wages through the use of strikes and protests. The nation’s progress spurred the need for more labor and so began the Industrial Revolution. During the Revolution, many union members began to witness the power that employers had and as a result decided to make use of the concept of power in numbers. The National Labor Union formed in 1866 and worked to persuade congress to set a Federal eight-hour workday, which applied to government employees (Miller). Many large unions formed following in the NLU’s footsteps and uni...

    Read More

  • Black Panther Party Analysis

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Black Panther Party’s initial success came about without having to address these roots, but, as the Party expanded and wished to move ahead, the Party’s shifts in policy can be directly attributed to the wishes and needs of the community. Murch profiles the Oakland Community School and the People’s Free Food Program, which were social institutions created by the Black Panther Party to address the needs of the community; though these approaches were used to bring about more members and to garner support, these tactics worked because of their correlation to the needs of Oakland’s African American community.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions During The Gilded Age

    891 Words  | 2 Pages

    The United States’s industrialization lead to a great boom in both economic and population growth, allowing businesses to flourish. With more money and workers at their disposal, employers often would often mistreat workers, suddenly cutting their wages or firing them. With only profit in mind, industries eventually became monopolized and the conditions of workers only worsened. Defenseless and barely able to survive, laborers soon found power in uniting with each other, leading to the establishment of American labor unions during the Gilded Age. They provided workers with necessary protection from their employers’ capricious decisions, and while their presence elicited fear in business owners, unions eventually bettered the standard of living for the American proletarian through compromise.

    Read More

  • The Mighty Vice Lords: Book Review Of The Mighty Vice Lords

    852 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another thing he was trying to do with this book is to show people that black street leaders can become local heroes. Even though they might have started out as street fighters, they can change their life to become a political group and work towards changing the system that they feel will never accept them for the people that they really are. In this book the author shows you a way to build this nation’s communities that are very much under resourced. It also lets you know that there are things that we can do to change a bad situation, as long as we are willing to work towards making a change and there also must be resources available to help make that change. In other words, “where there’s a will, there’s a

    Read More

  • Citizenship In The Invisible Man

    1854 Words  | 4 Pages

    These members don’t benefit from helping advocate for racial equality, but recognizes that disparaging a large population of individuals to keep an elite class of citizens from having their balance upset, is not beneficial to the whole of the community. They exercise political friendship by working with black individuals advocating for their cause. A lack of political friendship is also seen, which is the result of certain individuals holding their own status above those of others. The narrator is aware of his systematic oppression and the lack of political friendship. In the beginning his habits were to be eager and work hard, offering his trust and respect for others and being hopeful he’d receive it in return. By the end, he grows wearing of receiving little back, and becomes inflexible in his friendships and withdraws his efforts towards cooperation. He struggles with working with whites or even coexisting as he is bitter at his discrimination, and doesn’t trust them. By the end, his psychological state is rather broken and unstable, and he ends up withdrawing from the community, existing as a recluse, as he doesn’t want to contribute to a society that he cannot trust and who doesn’t trust or respect

    Read More

  • Labor Unions and Effects on the Lives of Factory Workers

    667 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...e general public was finally beginning to recognize that workers had the right to both organize and strike. The federal government was also taking note of the plight of factory workers. In 1895, the Supreme Court stated that it was charged with the duty of regulating interstate commerce (Doc. H). Overall, labor unions produced chain reactions that caused others to make strides toward equality within society.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions

    3061 Words  | 7 Pages

    Labor unions have been in America for a very long time. There are many unions in a myriad of different fields. Labor unions were and are used to allow for equal treatment of workers. Employers always want to maximize their profits and they try to give the least to get the most in return. For reasons such as this is why unions were formed. Generally a union boss is appointed or hired to protect the rights and privileges of the employees. The union boss is generally very representative of the demographics of the workers. The leader of the employees needs to know what they want and what is fair for them and this is why he tends to represent one type of work force, such as the teachers union. This type of representation is made easier when most of the workers come from the same background. Background meaning family size, education, race, etc. Labor unions have helped shape the American work force, as have the backgrounds of the men and women who have worked in them. America was founded on diversity and the freedom to choose. Many different backgrounds have found their way into America and labor unions. As stated earlier, labor unions have people of the same background in them. America’s first settlers were generally of the same background and because of that, so were the members of the first labor unions. As the United States expanded so did the work force and the diversity in it. Diversity and understanding the challenges and benefits is what enables America to be great. In the pages of this paper we are going to look at the change in the make-up of labor unions by the entrance of African-Americans and how they have influenced America and the labor unions for the better. This paper is and expansions on my paper “A Shield Against the Power of Industrial Capitalism”.

    Read More

  • Labor Unions

    1289 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout American history, labor unions have served to facilitate mediation between workers and employers. Workers seek to negotiate with employers for more control over their labor and its fruits. “A labor union can best be defined as an organization that exists for the purpose of representing its members to their employers regarding wages and terms and conditions of employment” (Hunter). Labor unions’ principal objectives are to increase wages, shorten work days, achieve greater benefits, and improve working conditions. Despite these goals, the early years of union formation were characterized by difficulties (Hunter).

    Read More

  • Teamster Rebellion Essay

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    These conditions led to massive anger. Workers were joining unions like the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in growing numbers, seeking a solution to their difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, the AFL leadership tried to win favor with the bosses by siding with them and rigging the union structures to maintain their privileged positions. But these lead to defeats for the workers and there demands.

    Read More

  • Managerial Prerogative

    1853 Words  | 4 Pages

    The laws and regulations surrounding Industrial Relations since the 1900’s have, at each reform, placed tighter constraints on the amount of power unions are able to exert. The reforms have also radically increased managerial prerogative, through an increased use of individual bargaining, contracts and restrictions imposed on unions (Bray and Waring, 2006). Bray and W...

    Read More

More about The Democratic Promise Summary

Open Document