Posts by Alexandra Greenwald

.   The Gamaliel Foundation is part of a long tradition of community organizing in Chicago. It was founded as an organizing institute in Chicago in 1986 by Greg Galluzzo, and from the beginning it has trained community and faith leaders to build political power and create organizations that unite people of across races, genders,…

The first Ntosake was a “women’s weekend.” In 1993, Gamaliel women were hungry for a space to explore their potential as leaders in a society that often underestimates their power and strength. At the close of the weekend, Rev. Dr. Brenda Hayes of the African Methodist Episcopal Church gave a sermon on the word “Ntosake,”…

Rolling Thunder was a series of coordinated actions inspired by “thunder” in South Africa — protests against apartheid. In 2001, women from South Africa joined Gamaliel’s International Leadership Assembly (ILA) to discuss the “strike a rock” women’s campaign in their country. In the following years, Gamaliel affiliates held coordinated actions across the nation, kicked off…