Edward Thomas Chambers (April 2, 1930 – April 26, 2015) was the executive director of the

Industrial Areas Foundation The Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) is a national community organizing network established in 1940 by Saul Alinsky, Roman Catholic Bishop Bernard James Sheil and businessman and founder of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' Marshall Field III. The IA ...

from 1972 to 2009, a

community organizing Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community buil ...

group founded by

Saul Alinsky Saul David Alinsky (January 30, 1909 – June 12, 1972) was an American community activist and political theorist. His work through the Chicago-based Industrial Areas Foundation helping poor communities organize to press demands upon landlord ...

. Chambers was born in

Clarion, Iowa Clarion is a city in and the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,810 at the time of the 2020 census. History Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H Clubs of America, conc ...

to Thomas Chambers and Hazella Downing. He is credited with developing systematic training of organizers and leaders of congregation-based community organizations, and establishing relational meetings (or "one-on-ones") as a critical practice of organizers. He is the author of ''Roots for Radicals: Organizing for Power, Action, and Justice'' (Continuum International Publishing Group, 2003, .). A memorial article in ''The New Yorker'' called him "community organizing’s unforgiving hero." Freedman, Samuel G. "Ed Chambers: Community Organizing’s Unforgiving Hero." ''New Yorker'', May 6, 2015. http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/edward-chambers-community-organizings-unforgiving-hero He died of heart failure in Drimoleague, Ireland in 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambers, Edward T. American community activists 2015 deaths Community organizing People from Chicago People from Clarion, Iowa College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University alumni 1930 births