In the 1950s and 60s, the best-known member of the left-led International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) was, oddly enough, a conservative writer named Eric Hoffer, whose fans included Ronald Reagan. Hailed in the mainstream media as the work of
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Veeck, Doby, Paige Feller and the 1946-48 Cleveland Indians As America again rises to combat racial injustice, it’s a good time to look back at a previous time with high hopes for racial progress: post-WW2 America, when major league baseball
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When I attended a Washington, D.C. law school in the early 1970s, everyone enrolled in its criminal law class was required to participate in the Metropolitan Police Department’s “ride along” program. Then, as now, “ride along” allows local residents to
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Robeson’s Extraordinary Life Paul Robeson lived an extraordinary life. If white, he might have become a governor or senator. And/or the nation’s leading actor on stage and screen. Absent racial barriers Paul Robeson could also have become a nationally renowned
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A native San Franciscan, Vendela Vida’s contributions to the city include co-founding the wonderful children’s writing center, 826 Valencia. Her new book, We Run the Tides, brings you straight into the Sea Cliff Neighborhood and San Francisco in the mid-1980’s.
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SF’s First Public Defender Faced Murder Charges Jeff Adachi was a true Renaissance man. A fierce deputy public defender, Adachi won election to run the San Francisco Public Defender’s office and completely reshaped it. He made a film, “Defender,” on
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The IAF’s Universal Rules What do we mean when we talk about “community organizing” Is it helping a “community” achieve its goals? Helping communities define their needs? Building a base of people so that the community can effectively assert its
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New Book Offers Common-Sense Solutions I argue in Generation Priced Out that whether cities improve affordability and increase racial and economic diversity is a question of political will. Ending homelessness, overcrowding, and long car commutes is not like a search
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