Full Description
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.
Contents
PART I: INTRODUCTION 1. Women Warriors in the War on Poverty PART II: THE U.S. WAR ON POVERTY 2. Contradictions of New Careers 3. Community Action in Differing Political Contexts PART III: MOTIVATIONS AND INSPIRATIONS 4. Pathways to Community Work 5. Activist Mothering, Community Caretaking, and Civic Work PART IV: THE GENDERED POLITICS OF COMMUNITY WORK 6. Dynamics of Race, Class, and Feminist Praxis 7. Intergenerational Continuity of Community Work PART V: CONCLUSION: LESSONS FOR A RENEWED WAR ON POVERTY 8. Shifting Standpoints on Politics and the State APPENDICES A. Methodological Considerations B. A Demographic Profile of the Community Workers Interviewed C. Don't Bother Voting in Poverty Elections D. Amending the War on Poverty E. Permissable and Prohibited Activities PAAC 1966 F. Map of Philadelphia's Twelve Poverty Areas G. Maximum Participation Movement, Philadelphia 1966
