Background on the next Acton Lecture Series event:
Join us on Thursday, May 6 to hear Mr. Joseph Morris’ lecture Alinsky for Dummies: His Persistent Influence and Its Meaning for American Society and Politics. Saul Alinsky might be called the “anti-Acton.” As Lord Acton warned that power corrupts, Saul Alinsky — the father of modern “community organizing” — rejoiced that corruption empowers. Decades after Alinsky’s death his ideas and teaching continue to shape the American political and social landscape. Barack Obama’s first job in Chicago was as an “organizer” for an Alinsky group; Hillary Clinton’s undergraduate thesis was written on Alinsky’s precepts; contemporary organizations from the notorious ACORN to the Catholic-Church-supported United for Power and Justice are among Alinsky’s progeny. This lecture will supply an overview of Alinksy’s thinking and show its application in current events. Luncheon participants are encouraged (although certainly not required) to read Alinsky’s short but seminal Rules for Radicals, widely available in inexpensive paperback editions, prior to the lecture.

The lecture will take place at the Waters Building in Downtown Grand Rapids [map it]. Tickets are $15 for regular admission and $5 for students. To register, visit the Acton Lecture Series page or e-mail Melissa Burkholder at mburkholder@acton.org