Erik Loomis

Some pretty serious organizing going on out there, going back to the legendary organizer Saul Alinsky, who sends some of his people out there, a guy named Fred Ross. Ross brings in a couple of local people named Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. And they eventually start leading a different kind of a movement, a workers-oriented movement that eventually becomes the United Farm Workers.

Some pretty serious organizing going on out there, going back to the legendary organizer Saul Alinsky, who sends some of his people out there, a guy named Fred Ross. Ross brings in a couple of local people named Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. And they eventually start leading a different kind of a movement, a workers-oriented movement that eventually becomes the United Farm Workers.

Beginning in 1965, it engages in a nationwide boycott against table grapes because the grape growers were so anti-union. This sort of galvanizes liberals across the country. It becomes a national movement. People volunteer for this and they live in like UFW houses in various cities around the country.

Beginning in 1965, it engages in a nationwide boycott against table grapes because the grape growers were so anti-union. This sort of galvanizes liberals across the country. It becomes a national movement. People volunteer for this and they live in like UFW houses in various cities around the country.

working, flyering, getting people to support the movement, getting stores to not buy these grapes. And it becomes a national movement that eventually leads to some pretty major victories for the farm workers and really solidifies Chavez and Huerta as legends of American organizing and American progressivism.

working, flyering, getting people to support the movement, getting stores to not buy these grapes. And it becomes a national movement that eventually leads to some pretty major victories for the farm workers and really solidifies Chavez and Huerta as legends of American organizing and American progressivism.

They were able to take a really small group of workers and make it a national cause by building on a kind of a broader sense of solidarity between that existed at that time where people in New York or LA or where I live in Providence saw these workers out in California that they barely knew existed and learned about their conditions. And people were horrified about this.

They were able to take a really small group of workers and make it a national cause by building on a kind of a broader sense of solidarity between that existed at that time where people in New York or LA or where I live in Providence saw these workers out in California that they barely knew existed and learned about their conditions. And people were horrified about this.

It was the appeal to a broader sense of justice that was a big part of American life in the 1960s and 70s. You know, that this was a way in which everyday people, I mean, think about it today, right? Like, you know, there's a lot of people out there who, no doubt listeners of this podcast, who really don't know what to do right now, right?

It was the appeal to a broader sense of justice that was a big part of American life in the 1960s and 70s. You know, that this was a way in which everyday people, I mean, think about it today, right? Like, you know, there's a lot of people out there who, no doubt listeners of this podcast, who really don't know what to do right now, right?

I mean, they're flummoxed, they're flustered, they're horrified, they're angry, but their anger other than like, you know, got to make sure we win the House in 26 and try to find somebody else. They don't know what to do necessarily. And that's been kind of a theme, I think, since the election. Yeah. Well, you know, part of what the UFW boycott does is give people something to do, right?

I mean, they're flummoxed, they're flustered, they're horrified, they're angry, but their anger other than like, you know, got to make sure we win the House in 26 and try to find somebody else. They don't know what to do necessarily. And that's been kind of a theme, I think, since the election. Yeah. Well, you know, part of what the UFW boycott does is give people something to do, right?

It gives them a way that they can become invested in a movement by handing out flyers, by, if nothing more, by like taking the flyer and then saying, I'm not going to support buying these table grapes, right? I'm going to boycott a store that is selling these grapes. I'm going to engage in me, you know, I'm going to engage in a solidarity action.

It gives them a way that they can become invested in a movement by handing out flyers, by, if nothing more, by like taking the flyer and then saying, I'm not going to support buying these table grapes, right? I'm going to boycott a store that is selling these grapes. I'm going to engage in me, you know, I'm going to engage in a solidarity action.

That might slightly inconvenience me because, I don't know, my kid likes grapes and, you know, I like this store or whatever. But I'm going to put pressure using my consumer power to live by this boycott that then means that I am actively helping these workers out in California who I've never seen because I've never been to Fresno.

That might slightly inconvenience me because, I don't know, my kid likes grapes and, you know, I like this store or whatever. But I'm going to put pressure using my consumer power to live by this boycott that then means that I am actively helping these workers out in California who I've never seen because I've never been to Fresno.

And I'm going to use my little bit of power to do something to help these workers. So I think it's not just like, I mean, look, like workers are in horrible conditions today, too. I mean... the pandemic and like the meatpacking workers who are dying of COVID on the job because they're considered essential workers or an example of that. And we didn't necessarily have actions to support them per se.

And I'm going to use my little bit of power to do something to help these workers. So I think it's not just like, I mean, look, like workers are in horrible conditions today, too. I mean... the pandemic and like the meatpacking workers who are dying of COVID on the job because they're considered essential workers or an example of that. And we didn't necessarily have actions to support them per se.

But there are ways to build bigger public support by doing the work of organizing in a broader general public to have an ask of people to do something concrete to help support of labor rights or immigrant rights or the other horrible things that are happening to this country today. There are ways that we can learn from the past to engage people to do real actions. They didn't

But there are ways to build bigger public support by doing the work of organizing in a broader general public to have an ask of people to do something concrete to help support of labor rights or immigrant rights or the other horrible things that are happening to this country today. There are ways that we can learn from the past to engage people to do real actions. They didn't