Betsy Leondar-Wright
Encyclopedia
Betsy Leondar-Wright is an economic justice activist, sociologist, and author, who writes on class and economic inequality.
family, and dropped out of Princeton University
to become a full time activist. She completed her Bachelor of Arts
and MA
in Sociology at Boston College
.
(MNS) where she was a member of the Keystone Alliance, organizing rallies and occupations at the Limerick, PA Nuclear Power Plant
. While involved with MNS, she published the "Study Guide on Multinational Corporations and the World Economy.”
From 1986 to 1988 she was Program Coordinator at Women for Economic Justice, where she organized a coalition for pay equity for women. From 1988 to 1993 she was Executive Director at the Anti-Displacement Project, an affordable housing organization; three of the tenant groups she organized bought and now manage their apartment complexes as permanently affordable housing. From 1994 to 1997 she served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition.
From 1997 to 2006 she was Communications Director for United for a Fair Economy
, where she co-authored The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide.
She serves on the board of Class Action, a non-profit that raises consciousness about class and money, where she blogs for “Classism
Exposed”.
Gail Leondar-Wright, are one of the first lesbian couples to be legally married in the United States.
Early life and education
Leondar-Wright was raised in a middle classMiddle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
family, and dropped out of Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
to become a full time activist. She completed her Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Sociology at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
.
Activism
She was a member of Movement for a New SocietyMovement for a New Society
The Movement for a New Society was a U.S.-based network of social activists, committed to the principles of nonviolence, who played a key role in social movements of the 1970s and 80s....
(MNS) where she was a member of the Keystone Alliance, organizing rallies and occupations at the Limerick, PA Nuclear Power Plant
Limerick Nuclear Power Plant
The Limerick Generating Station in Pennsylvania is located next to the Schuylkill River in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, northwest of Philadelphia. The facility has two General Electric boiling water reactor units, cooled by natural draft cooling towers...
. While involved with MNS, she published the "Study Guide on Multinational Corporations and the World Economy.”
From 1986 to 1988 she was Program Coordinator at Women for Economic Justice, where she organized a coalition for pay equity for women. From 1988 to 1993 she was Executive Director at the Anti-Displacement Project, an affordable housing organization; three of the tenant groups she organized bought and now manage their apartment complexes as permanently affordable housing. From 1994 to 1997 she served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition.
From 1997 to 2006 she was Communications Director for United for a Fair Economy
United for a Fair Economy
United for a Fair Economy is a national Boston, Massachusetts-based movement support organization that highlights the detriments of uneven wealth distribution. UFE was co-founded by Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel in 1995...
, where she co-authored The Color of Wealth: The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide.
She serves on the board of Class Action, a non-profit that raises consciousness about class and money, where she blogs for “Classism
Classism
Classism is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes and behaviors, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper classes at the expense of the lower classes...
Exposed”.
Current Work
Her current work focuses on cross-class coalitions in movements for social change. She is completing a dissertation that focuses on class culture differences in U.S. social change groups.Personal life
She and her life-partner, progressive book publicistPublicist
A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book, film or album...
Gail Leondar-Wright, are one of the first lesbian couples to be legally married in the United States.
Publishing History
| 1996 | co-author | Mass Billions: The Changing Role of Federal Support for Human Services in Massachusetts for the Massachusetts Human Services Coalition |
| 1999 | co-author | Shifting Fortunes: The Perils of the Growing American Wealth Gap for United for a Fair Economy United for a Fair Economy United for a Fair Economy is a national Boston, Massachusetts-based movement support organization that highlights the detriments of uneven wealth distribution. UFE was co-founded by Chuck Collins and Felice Yeskel in 1995... |
| 1999, 2007 | co-author | Classism curriculum design, chapter in Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice, co-written with by Felice Yeskel |
| 2004 | co-author | Black job loss deja vu: think the typical job-loser in today's economy is a white computer programmer whose job has been outsourced to India? Think again. An article from Dollars and Sense |
| 2004 | author | Climbing the White Escalator |
| 2004 | co-editor | The Wealth Inequality Reader in Dollars and Sense |
| 2005 | co-author | Where are the elites? Chapter in Inequality Matters |
| 2004–2006 | co-author | three annual "State of the Dream" reports on racial inequality for United For a Fair Economy |
| 2005 | author | Class Matters: Cross-Class Alliance Building for Middle-Class Activists |
| 2006 | co-author | The Color of Wealth:The Story Behind the U.S. Racial Wealth Divide - winner of the Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Award |
External links
- Interview with Z Magazine
- As forum speaker
- Interview on Progressive Radio
- consulting gail leondar public relations