Rebel Alliance

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Instead, it documents the formation of broad-based organizations by religious congregations and civic groups to strengthen citizen leadership. Key historical moments include Alinsky's work with the Back of the Yards Neighborhood Council in 1939 and the founding of The Woodlawn Organization in 1961. The text describes how organizers like Edward T. Chambers and Ernesto Cortes Jr. developed techniques such as relational meetings to build trust across community dividing lines, shifting focus from short-term campaigns to long-term relationships.

In Their Own Story

The narrative in the source follows the evolution of IAF from its founding in 1940 through Alinsky's death in June 1972 to the leadership of Ed Chambers. It highlights specific victories, such as the first living wage bill passed by a Baltimore organization in 1994, which raised wages for millions. The story details the expansion into Texas with COPS and the creation of entities like Project QUEST for workforce development and Nehemiah Projects for housing. It records the administrative split into West/Southwest IAF and Metro IAF, noting affiliates across the US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Australia.

Reader's Guide

This source serves as a factual record of the Industrial Areas Foundation's operations, not a guide to fictional lore. It lists 65 affiliates organized into regions like West/Southwest and Metro IAF. The text explains that IAF provides training, consultation, and organizers but does not offer direct services. Readers can identify specific local groups such as BUILD in Baltimore, East Brooklyn Congregations, and COPS/Metro Alliance in San Antonio. The guide emphasizes the 'iron rule of organizing': never do for others what they can do for themselves.

Did You Know?

• The Industrial Areas Foundation was established in 1940 by Saul Alinsky, Bishop Bernard James Sheil, and Marshall Field III.
• In 1994, a Baltimore organization designed and passed the first living wage bill in the US.
• Ed Chambers became executive director after Alinsky's death in June 1972 and moved headquarters to New York in 1979 before returning to Chicago in 1996.