In Detroit and Milwaukee — two majority-Black cities where political disinvestment and economic inequality had long suppressed civic participation — two organizations were building something different: year-round, membership-based civic engagement programs rooted in community relationships rather than election-cycle mobilization. Founded…
In 2002, homeless and unemployed residents of Baltimore founded United Workers Association (UWA, Norman grantee 2010–2021) as a human rights organization focused on ending poverty. They built a grassroots base of over 3,000 members that won increased wages for homeless…
Founded in 2002 as a small legal aid project to help low-wage and immigrant workers recover stolen wages, Workers Defense Project (WDP, Norman grantee 2011–2014) has grown into a statewide, membership-based organization that trains and organizes construction workers in Texas,…
Founded in 1993, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW, Norman grantee 2008–2015) is led by immigrant farmworkers who organize for better wages, safer working conditions, and human rights. CIW built a broad coalition of students, faith communities and unions, linking…