As presidential candidates prepare to spread freedom around the world, I would like to focus our attention closer to home. Local communities must demand that government and corporate decision-makers in our nation make good on the promise of democracy by creating better schools, better jobs, housing and lending in our neighborhoods.

I believe that local neighborhood residents are the experts about the issues and policies that affect their lives. We need to go back to the base of community organizing local grassroots neighborhoods, working in a coalition to fight for social and economic justice in neighborhoods around the country. Whether the issue is rural residents battling factory farms, inner-city homeowners demanding affordable credit, or access to higher education, we need local community leaders working to help guide people at the local level to addressing issues, deciding what the best solutions are and then working with those who have the power to make changes.

Democracy means that local communities have the opportunity to hold government and corporate decision-makers accountable for fair policies and practices. We need to create a sense of community (community organizing).

University of Chicago trained sociologist Saul Alinsky called on local citizens to develop and exert meaningful control over the social, economic and political conditions in their neighborhoods. At the core of community organizing is a strong belief in democracy and resident participation.

Go back to the base, the civil rights movement, the black power movement, farm workers movement, the Chicano movement, the free speech movement and the anti-war movements; youth organizing develop many of today’s leaders, teachers, analysts and activists.

In 1971 youth protest led Congress to extend the franchise to 18- to 20-year-olds, who was barred from the voting booth but were old enough to be drafted in the war; now today the voting age is changed to 18 years.

Today’s issues are better jobs, public education, criminal justice and environmental justice. They can once again be lead by young people. Our focus needs to be on the local community support networks We need to organize groups of people in local communities with the goal of developing capacity necessary to provide organizing skills trainings, campaign workshops and the political education.

— Corry Stevenson, Executive Director, S.C. United Action

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