6.6: More Examples of Organizing

Heart of Access: San Franciso's Response to Covid

San Francisco had an unusual degree of community leadership and community action in response to the covid pandemic -- and it showed in our health statistics! San Francisco had the lowest covid-related death rate of any large US city, I believe. Every community in the city -- especially those neighborhoods most at risk -- played a part in saving lives and informing residents and promoting health. This documentary shows some of that work.

This documentary is 25-minutes long, but the last 5 minutes are the credits and information on local services, so it's just 20 minutes of interviews. I found it quite moving -- and I recognized several former CCSF students among the voices featured here!

To view the documentary, you have to register on this page. There is no charge -- the sign in is free. Whatever sign-in information you provide may be shared with the public health department. You don't have to watch this if you don't want to sign in -- and if you do want to sign in, I don't think you necessarily have to use your real name. I did, but how you sign in is your choice.

Link to Heart of Access documentary

Laotian Organizing Project and Asian Pacific Environmental Network

This write up (including audio interviews and one video interview) on the Laotian Organizing Project and APEN (Asian Pacific Environmental Network) also tells an important story of organizing for health.

Environmental Justice in Chester PA

This example is quite old, and I apologize for that. It is a concise description of a social advocacy campaign, one focused on sharpening the conflict and challenging the power structures, and for that reason I include it, despite being out of date.

OPTIONAL: You may want to read or skim this article from PBS (NOVA show) with more recent information about environmental justice in Chester, PA.