Grassroots Warriors: Activist Mothering, Community Work, and the War on Poverty (Perspectives on Gender)

Who are the grassroots warriors on the front lines of the war on poverty? Through in-depth interviews, Nancy Naples presents the voices of over sixty women--African American, Puerto Rican and white European American--who have fought for social and economic justice in the low-income neighborhoods of New York City and Philadelphia. These women, as community workers and activist mothers, contribute vital and often unpaid services to ther communities, offering complex political perspectives and empowering others. Naples reconceptualizes labor, mothering and politics from the standpoint of women committed to work and politically organize on behalf of low income urban communities. Her analysis reveals significant legacies from past social movements, and examines how gender, ethnicity and class influence political consciousness and practice. Pt. 1: Introduction -- Women Warriors In The War On Poverty -- Pt. 2: The U.s. War On Poverty -- Contradictions Of New Careers -- Pt. 3: Motivations And Inspirations For Community Work -- Pathways To Community Work -- Activist Mothering, Community Caretaking, And Civic Work -- Pt. 4: The Gendered Politics Of Community Work -- Dynamics Of Race, Class And Feminist Praxis -- Intergenerational Continuity Of Community Work -- Pt. 5: Conclusion: Lessons For A Renewed War On Poverty -- Shifting Standpoints On Politics And The State -- Appendices. Nancy A. Naples. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [249]-270) And Index. Content: pt. 1. Introduction -- pt. 2. The U.S. war on poverty -- pt. 3. Motivations and inspirations for community work -- pt. 4. The gendered politics of community work -- pt. 5. Conclusion : lessons for a renewed war on poverty. Explores the connections among motherhood, work, politics and the community in low-income urban environments. It reveals the significant legacies of the social movements of the 1960s as well as the War on Poverty. First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company