CLASSISM EXPOSED BY BETSY LEONDAR-WRIGHT, ECONOMIC JUSTICE ACTIVIST, SOCIOLOGIST

ENVISION THIS: Economic and social justice activists sensitive to differences in class cultures

Betsy Leondar-Wright is an economic justice activist, sociologist and author, who writes on class and economic inequality. For nine years she was the Communications Director at United for a Fair Economy, and  co-authored UFE's new book The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide. She is currently the Project Director and Senior Trainer at Class Action, a non-profit that raises consciousness about class and money, where she edits the blog “Classism Exposed.”  Betsy’s latest of twelve books, Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups by Seeing Class Cultures, was just published in 2014.

Betsy says, "Often the paid organizers in low-income communities come from professional middle-class backgrounds. I worked as a community organizer for many years, and the class dynamics can be tricky..." From an interview she conducted with Dorian Warren, she quotes,"Don't do things for people, but help them speak for themselves."  Understanding the perspective, values, and goals of the people you are working with or trying to organize is so crucial that Betsy's current work focuses on helping activists to form cross-class coalitions in movements for social change

Join our discussion on this crucial aspect of creating a more just, equitable, and inclusive future.