Grassroots Leadership
Grassroots Leadership is a nonprofit organization founded in 1980 by Si Kahn, a Pennsylvania-based songwriter/activist, for the purpose of helping to create an "infrastructure for a progressive Southern movement." Grassroots Leadership's goal is to put an end to abuses of justice and the public trust by working to abolish for-profit private prisons. "For-profit private prisons, jails and detention centers have no place in a democratic society. Profiteering from the imprisonment of human beings compromises public safety and corrupts justice. In the spirit of democracy and accountability, we call for an end to all incarceration for profit." The nonprofit has chapters in Charlotte, NC, Southaven, MS, Montezuma, NM, and Austin, TX.
History
Since 1980, Grassroots Leadership has helped build the infrastructure for a progressive Southern movement. They have trained and supported the leaders, organizers, organizations, networks and coalitions that will make long-term positive change inevitable.
Over the past 29 years, they have helped organizations become stronger so that they can meet their own goals. The group has created and supported new organizations to address community needs as well was providing strategic space for Southern activists to work together on common issues and campaigns.
A significant proportion of their revenue comes from non-grant income, including contracts, concerts, lectures, workshops, training events, house parties throughout the country. Their national base of individual donors and sales of our awarding-winning series of multi-cultural music and storytelling albums for children also contribute to their income. This grassroots fundraising base has helped give them financial stability as an organization and the independence to carry out programs that are most critical without regard to political or funding trends or fads.
Chapters
Charlotte, North Carolina
Southaven, Mississippi
On April 16, 2007, Grassroots Leadership won a vote in Pike County, Mississippi. Gail Tyree, Campaign Director in the Mississippi/Tennessee area reported that the final result of the April 16 vote was 58% to 41% not to allow a for-profit private prison to be built in their county. This is the first time in the history of Mississippi that this has happened. In 1992, Mississippi passed state statute 47-4-3 requiring a special election on whether or not a private prison should be built. Over 3,000 Pike County registered voters signed the petition demanding a special election. Gail said, "For all the money Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) spent, for all the billboards they put up, we beat them with a slingshot." Gail also credited Grassroots Leadership's Les Schmidt and Kermit Moore, who had been working with her in Mississippi. In Adam County, Mississippi, they were unable to get the necessary number of signatures to bring the same issue to a vote. Grassroots Leadership has continued on to Walthall County where another for-prison private prison is being planned by CCA.
Montezuma, New Mexico
Austin, Texas
Publications
Part of the work of Grassroots Leadership is reaching the public through every available conduit, whether it be print, video, or audio to promote values of justice and social responsibility and accountability.