Thanks all for this wonderful contribution.

As a white male who got into community organizing as a profession and was taught “never do for others what they can do for themselves,” I discovered that the best leaders were women. In blue collar neighborhoods, white and black, they rose to the top.

Some of them were pulled out of the organizing by their husbands who said that they were neglecting the kids and spending too much time in the community. Some of them left their husbands.

Some of the best organizers were women who kicked me out (to my delight because that was the goal of the good organizer). Some of the best were religious women who found “liberation theology” including nuns who were freeing themselves and parishioners from the male clergy.

No wonder the MAGA vitriol towards Nancy Pelosi and the “squad” even by Palin and MTG.

Here in Mayland where I now as a retiree volunteer with a good people based organization with strong leadership male and female, the female organizers of three of the best community based organization formally under the Industrial Areas Foundation started by Saul Alinsky, left the male dominated regional IAF and formed their own network.

Local organizing can be the means of freeing women and their dominators at all levels. But it’s a long process which requires patience from women and men who are trying to overcome exploitation for themselves at all levels.