Community Projects as Social Activism

Community Projects as Social Activism: From Direct Action to Direct Services by Benjamin Shepard is an engaging and accessible work that will get today′s students excited about the very real prospect of achieving lasting, positive change within their communities. It outlines a distinct approach to community practice born out of the intersection among social movements, day-to-day organizing, and the lessons of five decades of community change practices. This invaluable resource is a must-have for anyone involved in community organization, community health, and community activism practice research and policy.

Benjamin Shepard, PhD, LMSW, is an associate professor of human services at City Tech/CUNY. Dr. Shepard trained at the University of Chicago School of Social Services Administration, the City University of New York Graduate Center, and the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis, and Psychology. In 2010, he was named to the Playboy Honor Roll as one of twenty professors in the nation "reinventing the classroom." Shepard frames community projects as social activism and has done organizing work with numerous organizations including ACT UP, Right of Way, and Occupy Wall Street. He is the author/editor of six previous books on social movements and community activism. A social worker who has worked in AIDS services and activism for two decades, Shepard remains involved in organizing efforts around transportation, HIV/AIDS, labor, public spaces, and environmental policy.