Fred Ross Sr. and the Roots of IAF Organizing in California

Over 175 leaders and organizers from across the West/Southwest IAF gathered in Los Angeles on International Workers' Day to remember and celebrate Fred Ross Sr. and his foundational impact on our organizing tradition.  See image gallery here.

The seminar featured an IAF first-of-its-kind film screening of American Agitators, a documentary inspired by the work of Fred Ross Sr., followed by a panel discussion with guests including: Ernesto Cortes Jr., founder of the West/Southwest IAF; Eliseo Medina of SEIU; Raymond Telles (film director) and Ken Smith (film team); as well as the current and former United Farm Workers (UFW) Presidents Teresa Romero and Arturo Rodriguez.  West/Southwest IAF leaders shared the lessons they learned from organizing around caregiver wages in Marin County, farmworker safety during COVID, and building power in rural farming communities.   

The following day, leaders and organizers convened with Gabriel Thompson, author of America's Social Arsonist: Fred Ross and Grassroots Organizing in the Twentieth Century. 

After hearing Thompson's reflections about his own organizing experiences, leaders and organizers, in true seminar style, dug into the book. West/Southwest IAF leaders reflected further on the legacy of Fred Ross Sr., and taught each other key lessons from the book and connected his experiences with modern day organizing practices, identifying habits and practices introduced by Fred Ross, including relational meetings, house meetings, and the importance of deep listening.

Click here for image gallery