Grassroots organizing and collective action have always been
fundamental to American democracy but have been burgeoning since the
2016 election, as people struggle to make their voices heard in this
moment of societal upheaval. Unfortunately much of that action has
not had the kind of impact participants might want, especially among
movements representing the poor and marginalized who often have the
most at stake when it comes to rights and equality. Yet, some
instances of collective action have succeeded. What’s the
difference between a movement that wins victories for its
constituents, and one that fails? What are the factors that make
collective action powerful?
Prisms of the
People addresses those questions and more. Using data from six
movement organizations—including a coalition that organized a
104-day protest in Phoenix in 2010 and another that helped restore
voting rights to the formerly incarcerated in Virginia—Hahrie Han,
Elizabeth McKenna, and Michelle Oyakawa show that the power of
successful movements most often is rooted in their ability to act as
“prisms of the people,”
turning participation into political power just as prisms transform
white light into rainbows. Understanding the organizational design
choices that shape the people, their leaders, and their strategies
can help us understand how grassroots groups achieve their goals.
Linking strong
scholarship to a deep understanding of the needs and outlook of
activists, Prisms of the People is the perfect book for our
moment—for understanding what’s happening and propelling it
forward.