James Tracy (activist)
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James Tracy | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 Oakland, California |
| Citizenship | American |
James Richard Tracy (born 1970) is an American author, poet and activist living in Oakland, California. He is the co-author (with Amy Sonnie) of Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times (Melville House Publishers 2012).
Early life[edit]
| This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2017) |
Tracy was born in Oakland, California in 1970. His family moved shortly thereafter to Vallejo, California. His father was a kindergarten teacher in the Richmond Unified School District. His mother worked a variety of jobs in the social work field. Tracy has two younger brothers.
Tracy credits several formative events in shaping his early political outlook. His first job was as a paper delivery person for the Vallejo Independent Press, a worker-owned newspaper founded by striking newspaper workers. This introduced the idea of worker self-management to him. In early 1989, the presence of Neo-Nazi organizers in Vallejo helped him form an anti-racist commitment.
Housing organizing[edit]
In 1992, Tracy co-founded the Eviction Defense Network (EDN) an organization which utilized direct action to prevent evictions.[1] The EDN was invited to work alongside public housing residents organizing for the right-of-return in the federal HOPE VI program. Subsequently, he was a member of the Coalition On Homelessness, Mission Agenda, and the Mission Anti-Displacement Coalition.[2][3]
Teaching[edit]
In 2023, Tracy was lecturing at San Francisco University.[4]
Published work[edit]
- The Civil Disobedience Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Guide for the Politically Disenchanted (Manic D Press, 2001)
- The Military Draft Handbook: A Brief History and Practical Guide for the Curious and Confused (Manic D Press, 2005)
- Molotov Mouths Outspoken Word Troupe: Explosive New Writing (Manic D Press, 2003)
- Avanti Popolo: Italian Americans Sail Beyond Columbus (co-editor) (Manic D Press, 2008)
- Sparks and Codes (Civil Defense Poetry, 2007)
- Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times (Melville House Publishers, 2012)
- Dispatches Against Displacement: Field Notes From San Francisco's Housing Wars (AK Press, 2014)
- No Fascist USA!: The John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today’s Movements (co-authored with Hilary Moore) (City Lights Publishers, 2020)[5]
Anthologies and encyclopedia entries[edit]
- “A Decade of Displacement,” The Political Edge, City Lights Publishers, 2009.
- “Rising Up: Poor, White and Angry in the New Left”, The Hidden 1970s, Histories of Radicalism Rutgers Press, 2010.
- “Henry David Thoreau,” Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, New York University Press, February 2007.
- “Housing Movements,” Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, New York University Press, February 2007.
- “Young Patriots Organization,” Encyclopedia of Activism and Social Justice, New York University Press, February 2007.
References[edit]
- ^ Carlsson, Chris (2009). The Political Edge. San Francisco: City Lights Publishers. ISBN 978-1931404051.
- ^ Lovell, Jarret (2009). Crimes of Dissent: Civil Disobedience, Criminal Justice, and the Politics of Conscience. USA: New York University Press. pp. 213–220. ISBN 978-0814752272.
- ^ Matthew, Dineen (24 July 2007). "More For Everyone". Towards Freedom. Retrieved February 27, 2012.
- ^ San Francisco University website, Department of Political Science section, James Tracy, retrieved 2023-12-12
- ^ "No Fascist USA!, the John Brown Anti-Klan Committee and Lessons for Today's Movements".