Welcome to Alabama Forward

We're excited to have you join the the Alabama Forward Grassroots Organizing School! After you confirm, we'll send more detailed information about location and travel. GRO School is an intensive, interactive course, with high expectations for participation. Please be prepared to meet these expectations if you confirm your participation. The in-person Opening Convening will be held in Birmingham. The schedule below may shift slightly before the workshop begins, but it will not begin earlier or end later than listed: Thursday, May 28: 6 to 9:30 pm (dinner provided) Friday, May 29: 9 am to 6 pm (breakfast offered before session, lunch provided) Saturday, May 30: 9 am to 6 pm (breakfast offered before session, lunch provided) Sunday, May 31: 9 am to 2 pm (breakfast offered before session, lunch provided) Additional commitments of the program: Virtual Sessions: Mondays, 6–8 pm CT, from June 8 until August 24 Small Group Meetings: every two weeks, schedule determined by the small group. In-person Closing Convening in Montgomery: September 18–20 On your own: Completion of readings and homework including group practice Participant Expectations During lectures & sections: We ask participants to write in the chat box, share verbally, and participate in breakout group discussion. Outside of class time, participants will be asked to: Apply their learning to their work in real time, Complete required readings, Write biweekly reflection papers, and Complete biweekly short group projects alongside a small group of other participants. Participants should expect to spend about 5 hours a week for coursework—including attending live webinar sessions and completing assignments. Make-up Policy In case of a work or family emergency that cannot be rescheduled without putting jobs/health in jeopardy, participants may miss up to two scheduled sessions (lecture or sections). Make-up work will be required.

Join Alabama Forward and Foot Soldiers Park to read One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson. Foot Soldiers Park is based in Selma, the iconic location of voting rights struggles in the 1960s. This book shows that the struggle continues today. We'll discuss the Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965, modern day voter suppression, and what Foot Soldiers Park and its partners are doing to defend our rights. The Shake the Field Book Club is a space where 18–45 year olds can dig deep into social movement strategy and history. Whether you’ve been organizing for decades or just attended your first protest, come learn from the words of movement experts and from the life experiences of your peers. A limited number of book scholarships are available! Each month book scholarships go to support 18–45 year olds with financial need who otherwise might not be able to participate in the bookclub. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Book scholarship applications due one month prior to the book club meeting.

Join Alabama Forward and Stand Up Mobile to read Ella Baker and the Black Freedom Movement: A Radical Democratic Vision.This book covers an important, if lesser known organizer from the Civil Rights Movement. Baker offers a model of grassroots organizing that leads from behind-the-scenes. Our conversation will tie her example to the work of Stand Up Mobile to influence their community and fight for rights in the Mobile area—and beyond!  The Shake the Field Book Club is a space where 18–45 year olds can dig deep into social movement strategy and history. Whether you’ve been organizing for decades or just attended your first protest, come learn from the words of movement experts and from the life experiences of your peers. A limited number of book scholarships are available! Each month book scholarships go to support 18–45 year olds with financial need who otherwise might not be able to participate in the bookclub. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Book scholarship applications due one month prior to the book club meeting.

This month lean into Shake the Field vibes and read Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang. You may know Shake the Field through this book club, but it's more than that—it's a movement, where culture, art, and activism meet the hustle for change. With this book, we'll learn more about a beloved genre of music that not only has good beats but also has a deep political history. The Shake the Field Book Club is a space where 18–45 year olds can dig deep into social movement strategy and history. Whether you’ve been organizing for decades or just attended your first protest, come learn from the words of movement experts and from the life experiences of your peers. A limited number of book scholarships are available! Each month book scholarships go to support 18–45 year olds with financial need who otherwise might not be able to participate in the bookclub. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Book scholarship applications due one month prior to the book club meeting.

Join Alabama Forward and the Huntsville Bail Fund to read No Cop City, No Cop World: Lessons from the Movement. This collection of essays covers efforts to stop construction of a $120 million police training facility outside of Atlanta. As law enforcement continues to target our communities and the FBI builds out a second headquarters in Huntsville, this book will allow us to explore intersectional strategy and tactics to resist oppression. The Shake the Field Book Club is a space where 18–45 year olds can dig deep into social movement strategy and history. Whether you’ve been organizing for decades or just attended your first protest, come learn from the words of movement experts and from the life experiences of your peers. A limited number of book scholarships are available! Each month book scholarships go to support 18–45 year olds with financial need who otherwise might not be able to participate in the bookclub. Scholarships will be distributed on a first come, first served basis. Book scholarship applications due one month prior to the book club meeting.