Get Involved
We know from Obama, from the history of the civil rights movement and from other struggles towards freedom and justice, that change happens only when people work together. The Get Involved section consists of four parts, each of which will provide different ways for you to interact with Dreams from My Father, with students, faculty and staff at LaGuardia, and perhaps most importantly with your community.
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Listen to Comments from Readers, and if you'd like to add your comments about the book, contact Terry Parker (Media Services - terry@lagcc.cuny.edu) or Charles Perkins (cperkins@lagcc.cuny.edu).
- Contribute to our blogs:
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Throughout Dreams from My Father, Obama refers to works of art – movies, books, poems, plays, music, dance – that influenced him or affected his life in some way. In our Arts Blog, we invite you to post suggestions and comments about books and poems that you are reading, music you are listening to, movies, plays and dance events that you might be seeing, etc.
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In our Timeline Edits Blog, we ask you to help us develop our timeline by adding information that you think is relevant to understanding Dreams from My Father.
- Use the Community Action Blog to tell us what you are doing in your community to work for change.
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- Attend forums and events focusing on current issues such as health care reform, education, the economy, etc. It's very easy to find out what's going on and where through the Organizing for America website. You can create an account, or simply plug in your zip code to get a list of events.
- Get involved with community organizations in New York City.
Below is a list of just a few of the many community, student, and labor organizations that are working for racial and economic justice, compiled by Professor Lorraine Cohen, Social Science Department. These organizations work with disadvantaged populations such as those with less income, working people, CUNY students, immigrants, and low income women, focusing on a wide range of issues, such as housing, health, jobs, social service delivery, educational opportunity, etc.
If you are interested in learning more about community and labor organizing contact Professor Lorraine Cohen at cohenlo@lagcc.cuny.edu
- Make the Road New York - This is a worker’s Center, a grassroots membership organization that mobilizes, advocates for and provides legal services to its members. Make the Road New York serves the immigrant community, documented and undocumented. Its main office is in Elmhurst Queens. The organization also has offices in Bushwick and Staten Island. “Make the Road New York* promotes economic justice, equity and opportunity for all New Yorkers through community and electoral organizing, strategic policy advocacy, leadership development, youth and adult education, and high quality legal and support services.
- The New York Civic Participation Project (NYCPP)
“The New York Civic Participation Project (NYCPP) collaborates with labor unions and community organizations supporting worker justice and civic empowerment for new immigrants across the City. We organize in neighborhoods to bring together grassroots union members, community activists, congregations and immigrant associations—building bridges across national, racial and ethnic lines." There is a Queens branch of this organization. - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
“From the ballot box to the classroom, the dedicated workers, organizers, and leaders who forged this great organization and maintain its status as a champion of social justice, fought long and hard to ensure that the voices of African Americans would be heard. For nearly one hundred years, it has been the talent and tenacity of NAACP members that has saved lives and changed many negative aspects of American society.” There is a Jamaica, Queens branch of this organization. The NAACP was extremely active around the Sean Bell case. - Jobs with Justice
This national organization has a New York City branch. It brings students together with labor and community groups to fight against tuition raises, sweatshops, and for workplace, community and global social justice. Most recently it has been fighting to achieve the Dream Act, a legislative act that, if passed, would create a path to citizenship for the children of undocumented immigrants, and the Employee Free Choice Act, an act that gives working people greater power if they choose to organize a union in their workplace. - Organizing for America
Formed after the 2008 Presidential campaign, Organizing for America seeks to build on the networks established during the campaign, and engage people throughout the country in working together to advance the legislative agenda of the Obama administration. Right now, Organizing for America is focused on the health care reform issues, providing forums for conversations, supporting legislators in favor of reform, and educating people about the various proposals.