About Class Action
January 25th, 2012
Class Action focuses on the personal, interpersonal and organizational levels of classism. We hope to be a national resource center for the class, which allows individuals and organizations with the tools and resources to work on eliminating classism.
What we do
First Creating space for awareness and education about class
Class Action sponsors workshops to create open spaces for people to better understand their own and others’ experiences of class and classism in all aspects of their lives. We also conduct workshops that focus on the intersection of identity, including gender and class and race and class. People from across the class spectrum participate in these workshops.
We find that since the class issue is so deeply rooted that deeper work often happens in support groups over time and with others who are in the same situation. We also facilitate longer-term cross-class dialogue groups composed of people from the entire class spectrum.
Class Action also works to build capacity to deliver class education throughout the country by developing a national, sustainable networks across class classism and teachers the tools and resources to do the work. We hope to support research on class issues, and promote the emerging field of Class Studies.
We also raise awareness of classism by talking to many people each year at conferences, religious congregations, and educational institutions.
Class Action called class facilitators and educators to exchange ideas and strategies. Among the participants Susan Lauchlin and Claire Gelina from No class, Pat Hussain from Southerners on New Ground (SONG) and Felix Gordon of Queers for Economic Justice.
Second Class and Society: Media and Public Education
Class Action is working to reach the general public by engaging in teaching about the nature of classism in American society. We are increasing awareness about the nature of class and class oppression, through daily printed, electronic comments, radio interviews, television interviews and journals. We are developing the capability to provide quick comment in response to current issues through the lens of class and classism.
We use our website as a place to share information, resources, articles and links to other organizations dealing with the class. We use radio talk shows, media interviews and book tours as a way to further enhance our message.
We publish books, articles, pamphlets and other resources on issues of class and classism.
Third Cross-Class Alliance Building
Class Action helps organizations solve their class cultures and biases, so they are able to engage in cross-class coalitions and alliances to more effectively achieve their goals. We are involved in:
A. Organizational Consulting. Class Action is working with staff, board, donors and constituents. We focus our work in four nonprofit sectors: social change organizations, educational organizations, faith-based organizations and social services.
B. Donor / Fundraiser dialogue. Too often there is miscommunication and unspoken power dynamics between donors and fundraisers. This project aims to increase honest communication and find ways to become better allies.
4th To move resources to where they are most needed
A. Philanthropic Consulting and coaching. Class Action works with financially wealthy people to divert their resources to social change. We are in contact with different wealth network, participate in conversations about philanthropy and donor roles in social change.
B. catalyzing Wealth / moving money / Big.
Class Action is involved in launching a campaign to move significantly more money for social change. We hope to engage in experiments that develop cross-class models of awareness and give money. We work to support wealthy individuals (and institutions) to provide larger portions of their assets for social change.
Class Action is a sister organization United for a Fair Economy.