{"product_id":"refinery-town-isbn-9780807029664","title":"Refinery Town","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe People vs. Big Oil—how a working-class company town harnessed the power of local politics to reclaim their community\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eWith a foreword by Bernie Sanders\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Home to one of the largest oil refineries in the state, Richmond, California, was once a typical company town, dominated by Chevron. This largely nonwhite, working-class city of 100,000 suffered from poverty, pollution, and poorly funded public services. It had one of the highest homicide rates per capita in the country and a jobless rate twice the national average.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But when veteran labor reporter Steve Early moved from New England to Richmond in 2012, he discovered a city struggling to remake itself. In \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e, Early chronicles the 15 years of successful community organizing that raised the local minimum wage, defeated a casino development project, challenged home foreclosures and evictions, and sought fair taxation of Big Oil. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA short list of Richmond’s activist residents helps to propel this compelling chronicle:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• 94 year old Betty Reid Soskin, the country’s oldest full-time national park ranger and witness to Richmond’s complex history \u003cbr\u003e• Gayle McLaughlin, the Green Party mayor who challenged Chevron and won\u003cbr\u003e• Police Chief Chris Magnus, who brought community policing to Richmond and is now one of America’s leading public safety reformers \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Part urban history, part call to action, \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e shows how concerned citizens can harness the power of local politics to reclaim their community and make municipal government a source of much-needed policy innovation. \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e provides an inside look at how one American city has made radical and progressive change seem not only possible but sensible.”—\u003cb\u003eDavid Helvarg\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Progressive\u003c\/i\u003eFOREWORD\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eTo Change U.S. Politics, We Need More Cities Like Richmond, California\u003c\/i\u003e by Bernie Sanders\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eINTRODUCTION\u003cbr\u003eFrom Company Town to Progressive City\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eONE\u003cbr\u003eA Refiner’s Fire\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTWO\u003cbr\u003eThe Greening of City Hall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHREE\u003cbr\u003eRichmond’s Community Policeman\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFOUR\u003cbr\u003eTuesday Night Cage Fights\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFIVE\u003cbr\u003eAn Election Not for Sale\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSIX\u003cbr\u003eCelebrating Our Differences?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSEVEN\u003cbr\u003eGentrification and Its Discontents\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEPILOGUE\u003cbr\u003eMaking Local Progress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e“A specific tale of governance at the local level that should appeal to labor activists and scholars of urban studies.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Readers interested in American politics, progressivism, community practice, and local, labor, and social history will find Early’s book to be informative, engaging, and inspiring.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eBooklist Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Exceptionally well written, impressively informed and informative, a compelling and thoughtful read from beginning to end, \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town: Big Oil, Big Money, and the Remaking of an American City\u003c\/i\u003e is very strongly recommended for both community, college, and university library American History collections.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Midwest Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e suggests that there is hope yet...folks: 2020 will be upon us in a flash; Richmond shows one way it can be a better time.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eDissent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Early is well positioned to tell this story. A lifelong labor activist and reporter who relocated to Richmond just in time to witness Chevron’s spectacular 2012 refinery explosion that nearly killed a dozen workers and sent fifteen thousand residents to the emergency room, he has a natural feel for the flow of grassroots political movements and the forces shaping working-class life...indispensable reading for activists thinking about the real problems of governance once an insurgency gains a toehold of power.”\u003cbr\u003e—Mark Dudzic, \u003ci\u003eJacobin Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“His book is a ray of hope for anyone wondering how to survive, and possibly even thrive, under Donald Trump and a hostile, Republican Congress...Community activists who are just starting out could find examples like Richmond a bit daunting, which makes intimate, contemporary histories like \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e so valuable.”\u003cbr\u003e—Shaun Richman, \u003ci\u003eIn These Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It is a tale well-told, and a good antidote for the despair that now runs rampant among many American progressives...[Early] successfully combines lively anecdotes, easy to read narrative, skillful analysis of often-complex issues, portraits of local leaders including the engaging Green Party former Richmond mayor Gayle McLaughlin, and commentary that places RPA in the larger context of American society and politics.”\u003cbr\u003e—Mike Miller, \u003ci\u003eCounterpunch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A truly invaluable book on a tremendous urban political achievement. The importance of national resistance to Donald Trump does not reduce the importance of local struggles such as that in Richmond...[Early] has brought forth another powerful chronicle of how progressives can win against big money and powerful interests. At a time when people are looking for inspiration, \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e could not have come out at a better time.”\u003cbr\u003e—Randy Shaw, \u003ci\u003eBeyond Chron\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Compelling on many levels.”\u003cbr\u003e—Seth Sandronsky, \u003ci\u003eThe Progressive Populist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A case study for activists looking to build power at the local level through grassroots organizing and independent electoral work...an invaluable documentation of their journey and a testimony of what might be possible in other cities.”\u003cbr\u003e—Ryan Haney, \u003ci\u003eTalking Union\u003c\/i\u003e blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] hopeful narrative about how bottom-up citizen action can restore a city’s pride and make a real difference in people’s lives around such issues as affordable housing, community policing, sustainable job growth, open space, clean energy, and immigrant rights...\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e provides an inside look at how one American city has made radical and progressive change seem not only possible but sensible.”\u003cbr\u003e—David Helvarg, \u003ci\u003eThe Progressive\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e should be on the reading list of all aspiring political revolutionaries, including those who may be temporarily discouraged and in need of a critical boost.”\u003cbr\u003e—Jonathan H. Martin, \u003ci\u003eThe Huffington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As Washington remains in gridlock, the everyday citizen-heroes of Richmond, California have been getting things done to make their city work for all. \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e is essential reading for anyone seeking inspiration for what grassroots organizing can accomplish, one community at a time.”\u003cbr\u003e—Robert B. Reich, Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy, University of California at Berkeley, and former U.S. Secretary of Labor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Frontline communities have a key role to play in our climate movement. Richmond’s creative resistance to Chevron is a model for environmental justice campaigners everywhere—in the U.S. and abroad—who face tough struggles of their own against Big Oil and big money. Steve Early’s retelling of Richmond’s story proves that making real change is possible.”\u003cbr\u003e—Annie Leonard, Executive Director, Greenpeace USA and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Story of Stuff\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“This is the story of a paradigmatic urban resistance movement that is successfully challenging the myth that corporate power and gentrification are inevitable, almost geological forces. Deeply rooted in local traditions of labor and black-liberation activism, the Richmond Progressive Alliance—Sanderistas pay attention—exemplifies what a grassroots ‘political revolution’ actually looks like. We need two, three, many Richmonds!”\u003cbr\u003e—Mike Davis, author of \u003ci\u003eCity of Quartz\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In a political system of Republicans and Democrats beholden to corporate cash, \u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e demonstrates there is an alternative in working people and community activists taking independent political action based on their own interests. From Seattle to Richmond, an emerging grass roots movement is developing for whom this book is an important read.”\u003cbr\u003e—Kshama Sawant, Socialist Alternative Seattle City Council Member\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e is a substantial contribution to the literature on local political struggles over poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Early has done for the contested terrain of Richmond, California what Mike Davis did for the much larger, majority minority metropolis of Los Angeles in \u003ci\u003eCity of Quartz\u003c\/i\u003e. His first-hand reporting is invaluable for researchers in urban studies, city planning, and geography.”\u003cbr\u003e—Immanuel Ness, professor of Political Science, City University of New York (Brooklyn College) author, \u003ci\u003eSouthern Insurgency: The Coming of the Global Working Class\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRefinery Town\u003c\/i\u003e provides deep insight into problems that our local progressive movement faced in its continuing struggle against corporate domination. Early captures the spirit as well as the facts of our Richmond campaigns and puts them in the context of community struggles throughout the country. This book is essential reading for anyone who wants to challenge corporate power at the local level.”\u003cbr\u003e—Mike Parker, Richmond Progressive Alliance organizer and co-author of \u003ci\u003eDemocracy is Power\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Steve Early’s new book describes the making of a ‘political revolution’ at the local level. Despite Chevron’s financial bullying and attempt to buy local elections, citizens of Richmond were able to organize and fight back relying on their own resources and energy. Like Bernie 2016, their story demonstrates that real change is possible through issue-oriented campaigns and effective electoral organizing.”\u003cbr\u003e—Larry Cohen, past president of Communications Workers of America and senior advisor to Bernie 2016 Campaign\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“For those of us wondering how to carry on the spirit and the activism of the Bernie Sanders campaign after 2016, this book contains a cornucopia of lessons to be applied in other cities and towns. The electoral success of the Richmond Progressive Alliance shows that maintaining a clear and radical anti-corporate politics is the way to win.”\u003cbr\u003e—Jane Slaughter, former editor, \u003ci\u003eLabor Notes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eSteve Early\u003c\/b\u003e has been an organizer, lawyer, union representative, and labor activist for the past forty-five years. He is the author of three other books, including \u003ci\u003eSave Our Unions: Dispatches from a Movement in Distress\u003c\/i\u003e. He lives in Richmond, California, with his wife.","brand":"Beacon Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44886733783269,"sku":"NP9780807029664","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780807029664.jpg?v=1767735570","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/refinery-town-isbn-9780807029664","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}