July-August 2005

The Dynamics of Organizing

Questions and Answers
What time is it? It’s time for  the 'NPA Family Reunion'
By Joseph Mariano
 
Thirty-five years is a long time – especially in the life of a family of fighters. To celebrate that milestone National People’s Action will be having a “Family Reunion” (as a part of the annual national neighborhoods conference) from May 6-8, 2006 in Washington, D.C. 

Thirty-five years ago, before I got into organizing I thought I had all the answers. Now as a seasoned organizer I hope I am asking the right questions, so I have some questions for you about NPA.

First, test your knowledge of NPA by naming these veterans:  
(Answers at bottom of page)
1.         This leader was a former VISTA volunteer (with a national program sponsored by NTIC in 1977) who was doing neighborhood based organizing in Cincinnati.

2.         In May, 1984, this leader received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Fordham University in recognition of her long standing efforts to improve neighborhoods in the Bronx.

3.         Name the leader who said the following: “We really touched a nerve ... people were ripe for something  ... we had been through the riots, we had seen the government programs set up to ‘help’ us were actually killing us … and we were looking for something to help tackle problems in our communities … .”

4.         “People like you are the hope of important change in this country.” What veteran journalist said this about NPA?

5.         “The ABA is paying $25,000 to Henry Kissinger as their keynote speaker (at the ABA annual convention in New Orleans in 1979) and he cannot compete with quality of the NPA speakers here today.”  Can you name the national leader who said that at the “NPA/ABA Battle of New Orleans?”

Second, I have more NPA questions for you:
1. What do you want the NPA Family Reunion to look like?
2. What about a session on hearing and telling our stories?  (As one of the secrets of NPA is the power of our stories.)
3. If you have been to your own family reunions - what are some things that make it successful?
4. How willing are you to help plan or be there to reconnect and renew old acquaintances at NPA?
5. Who do you remember from past NPA conferences? 
6. How many people - that you remember - are you willing to contact and urge them to help plan and attend the 35th annual NPA?
7. How has NPA changed you?
8. Will you call or write me to share your favorite NPA story?
9. How have you used NPA in the past?
10. How has NPA recharged your batteries or helped you at home?
11. If you might be unable to attend, how willing are you to help provide a donation to support NPA and help rent a “yellow school bus?”

NPA is what keeps me in organizing and in fact – at one point – it saved my professional life as an organizer. I was burnt out from doing church-based organizing along with incessant trainings that never seemed to lead anywhere. As a result, in 1993, I was considering leaving organizing and doing substitute teaching in Nebraska. I was feeling sorry for myself and it wasn’t until I was called to the hospital bedside of a former senior citizen health care issue leader Ruth Shriman that things took a strange turn. It was springtime in Chicago and Ruth wanted to see me to say goodbye as she was dying. 

Although her voice was weak, I was shocked at what she asked me and what we talked about: “Do you remember a few years ago, it was this time of year, we rode the bus from Chicago to Washington, D.C., and did the hit on the American Medical Association?” “Wasn’t that great fun?” “How are Shel and Gale?”

Of all the things in the world and her life that she could have talked about, she chose to talk about NPA with me. She was a fierce warrior and she told me she was going home.  She did in fact return to her Chicago neighborhood home where she passed away. When all this happened in 1994, I realized that life is too short not to be having fun. I reflected on my past work with NPA and how it gave me great joy. I abruptly resigned from the church-based operation as the training director. My next move was to meet with Cincotta and Shel Trapp to beg them to take me back at a substantial pay cut. Luckily for me, they were willing to do it. 

Isn’t life a strange and wonderful trip? Ain’t NPA fun? What do you think? Please let me know. You can write to me at 810 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60622, or e-mail mariano@ntic-us.org.
 
ANSWERS:
1. Marilyn Evans, Community Reinvestment Act leader from Communities United For Action, Cincinnati, Ohio
2. The late Anne Devenney, president of the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition
3. Gale Cincotta on the beginnings of what then was called NPA in Chicago
4. Bill Moyers
5. Hugh Kidd, Union Miles Community Coalition, Cleveland, Ohio