You Only Get What You're Organized to Take

Praise

“Through long study in the ‘University of the Poor,’ working alongside communities of poor and dispossessed people, my sister Liz has developed a unique capacity to articulate the shared wisdom of an organizing tradition that has been overlooked by most journalists and scholars. You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take is an essential addition to the movement literature of our time. It should be read by anyone who wants to know how we can not only save democracy but finally achieve what I call a democracy worth saving.”
—William J. Barber II, author of White Poverty: How Exposing Myths About Race and Class Can Reconstruct American Democracy

“Part memoir, part political history, part moral polemic—this book arrives at a critical time for our nation. Liz Theoharis and Noam Sandweiss-Back have crafted an ode to the often-dismissed power of poor and working-class people. These pages are filled with wisdom and strategy on what it will take to end poverty and build a more just and humane society. You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take is a must-have for every organizer interested in building big, durable, coalitions that materially change the lives of the poor and working class.”
—Maurice Mitchell, national director, Working Families Party

“This book is a must-read for today’s changemakers and organizers. Examining stories of courageous, creative movements, it teaches us how others have tried to create change by building solidarity. You’ll come away with new ideas and renewed hope that, together, creating change is possible.”
—Sara Nelson, president, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, AFL-CIO