Grassroots Warriors: Activist Mothering, Community Work, and the War on Poverty

by Naples,Nancy A.

• ISBN13: 9780415910248
• ISBN10: 0415910242
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-08-04
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Who are the grassroots warriors on the front lines of the war on poverty? Through in-depth interviews, Nancy Naples presents the voices of over sixty women--African American, Puerto Rican and white European American--who have fought for social and economic justice in the low-income neighborhoods of New York City and Philadelphia. These women, as community workers and activist mothers, contribute vital and often unpaid services to ther communities, offering complex political perspectives and empowering others. Naples reconceptualizes labor, mothering and politics from the standpoint of women committed to work and politically organize on behalf of low income urban communities. Her analysis reveals significant legacies from past social movements, and examines how gender, ethnicity and class influence political consciousness and practice.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Part I: Introduction	1	(38)
1. Women Warriors in the War on Poverty	1	(38)
Part II: The U.S. War on Poverty	39	(44)
2. Contradictions of New Careers	39	(24)
3. Community Action in Differing Political Contexts	63	(20)
Part III: Motivations and Inspirations for Community Work	83	(48)
4. Pathways to Community Work	83	(26)
5. Activist Mothering, Community Caretaking, and Civic Work	109	(22)
Part IV: The Gendered Politics of Community Work	131	(48)
6. Dynamics of Race, Class, and Feminist Praxis	131	(24)
7. Intergenerational Continuity of Community Work	155	(24)
Part V: Conclusion: Lessons for a Renewed War on Poverty	179	(24)
8. Shifting Standpoints on Politics and the State	179	(24)
Appendices	203	(16)
A. Methodological Considerations	203	(4)
B. A Demographic Profile of the Community Workers Interviewed, 1983-1985	207	(2)
C. Don't Bother Voting in Poverty Elections, 1966	209	(1)
D. Amending the War on Poverty	210	(2)
E. Permissible and Prohibited Activities, PAAC 1966	212	(3)
F. Map of Philadelphia's Twelve Poverty Areas, 1965	215	(1)
G. Maximum Participation Movement, Philadelphia 1966	216	(3)
Notes	219	(30)
References	249	(22)
Index	271