People, Power, and Place: A History of Organizing and Movement Building Workshop Series

LOCATION: ZOOM ONLINE

You will receive the Zoom Link for this training after you’ve registered, closer to the date of the Training.

There is a rich history of organizing around issues that affect low income people and people of color- specifically Black people-in Greater Boston. From the powerful movement that stopped the extension of the ten-lane I-95 highway, an extensive urban renewal effort that destroyed many communities, and the formation of the community development industry- Greater Boston contains a wealth of knowledge from the past on how we can organize around similar issues we face now in the present.

Join the Mel King Institute and Madison Park Development Corporation (MPDC) as we explore the history of community organizing and major events that have taken place in Greater Boston. During this three-part series- we’ll address topics such as redlining, the Community Reinvestment Act, the 2008 foreclosure crisis, explore the role of tenants’ rights, the repeal of rent control, and our state’s public housing history.

Participants will be able to:

• Learn from people who were change makers and on the front lines of major historic events
• Engage in exercises that will help conceptualize how organizers, residents, and allies-built power and overcame challenges
• Apply lessons to their current work and on how to move forward to address present issues

We encourage participants to attend all workshops to get a full breadth of knowledge on these topics and the full context of all major events. There is also an opportunity to attend a specific workshop of your choice that interests you. Each session will cover the following:

Workshop I – September 23, 2020; 5:30pm – 7:00pm ONLINE vis Zoom

Learn about the movement that brought many leaders throughout Greater Boston together to stop the extension of the I-95 Highway and the formation of the Community Reinvestment Coalition in order to stop racial discrimination in mortgage lending. The workshop will feature speakers including Karilyn Crockett, author of People vs. Highways, Jarred Johnson, Transit Matters, and organizers from MAHA.

Workshop II – September 30, 2020; 5:30pm – 7:00pm ONLINE via Zoom

Learn about Boston’s Tenants Rights activism from the 1970s – 1990s, the repeal of rent control laws, and the work of people who fought for public housing tenants’ rights. The workshop will feature speakers including Doris Bunte, former Director of Boston Housing Authority and public housing resident leaders from Greater Boston.

Workshop III – October 14, 2020; 5:30pm – 7:00pm ONLINE via Zoom

Learn about the foreclosure crisis that occurred on 2007-2013 and how people organized locally, statewide, and nationally to address the issue. In addition, gain perspective on how organizations are working to increase funding for affordable housing today. The workshop will feature speakers including representatives from the HERO Coalition and City Life Vida Urbana.

This series is created in partnership with Madison Park Development Corporation and sponsored by NeighborWorks America.

Registration fee: Suggested Donation: $15 per workshop; $45 entire series

Register