"Does Organizing Still Matter?," a Zube Lecture Presented by Seth Borgos and Jennifer Wells | *1 AICP CM Credit
Please note this event occurred in the past.
September 25, 2025 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET
Olver Design Building Lecture Hall (Room 170)
About the Talk
This talk will explore the historical impact and future potential of community organizing to build sustainable power for communities afflicted by poverty, racism, and other systems of oppression. The presenters will use examples from their own practice to illuminate the strengths of the organizing tradition as well as the existential challenges that organizers confront today in a climate of radical inequality, social distrust, and the collapse of democratic norms. Issues to be examined include the tension between organizing and mobilization, the definition of authentic community leadership, the role of organizing in policy change, the impact of new technologies on the political ecosystem, and strategies to renew and grow movements for justice in a perilous time. This talk is made possible with support from the UMass-Amherst Community, Democracy, and Dialogue program.
This lecture counts as 1 AICP Continuing Maintenance Credit for Planners, sponsored by the American Planning Association Massachusetts Chapter. Learn more.
About the Speakers
Seth Borgos is the Senior Advisor for Learning and Strategy at Community Change. In that capacity, he has helped Community Change to design and implement new strategies in a wide range of program areas including child care, health care, worker justice, civic participation, state power, and community organizing. Seth joined Community Change in 2000 for the launch of the National Campaign for Jobs and Income Support, a groundbreaking alliance of more than 100 grassroots organizations that won reforms in the child tax credit, SNAP, and other safety net programs that generated more than $25 billion in benefits for low-income families. Prior to that, he was national research director for ACORN, staffed economic development and workforce projects in the Midwest, and served as a program officer for the Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock. He is the co-author of This Mighty Dream, a pictorial history of social change movements in the United States.
Jennifer Wells directs Community Change’s program on Power Building in the Care Economy, which includes organizing for childcare and health justice. Previously, she served as Deputy Director of Black-Led Organizing with Community Change’s Reinvestment Team. Her leadership has been instrumental in expanding the organization’s support for Black-led organizations and catalyzing national campaigns on economic recovery, the federal Child Tax Credit, and safety net defense. Before joining Community Change in 2020, Jennifer served as the Executive Director of Our Future West Virginia, where she built a statewide network of grassroots civic engagement hubs in Black and rural communities. She established the Black Parent Collective (BPC) and convened parents and youth leaders in a multi-racial coalition to address anti-Black school disciplinary practices on the county and state levels.
Jennifer holds a master's degree in social work with a concentration on community organizing and public administration. In recent years she has earned recognition as the 2018 NASW West Virginia Social Worker of the Year and the 2020 Marshall University Commencement Speaker, 2020 Tedx Speaker. In 2024 she was selected for an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellowship, focusing on movement-building strategies for guaranteed income and community-based care. In her free time, Jennifer enjoys traveling with her wonderful husband, David, reading, and indulging in culinary delights. She especially enjoys returning to and connecting with her original home, New Orleans, Louisiana, where she finds relaxation and inspiration.
