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Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Marshall L. Ganz ’64 discussed his new book — “People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal” — at the Cambridge Public Library on Wednesday.
During the event, Ganz said the purpose of his book is to invite people to pursue organizing and civic action. “It’s an invitation to get into the kind of action that really brings us together,” he said.
“I think it is an effort to encourage people to take into their own hands the work we have to do to renew democracy in the country,” Ganz added in an interview with The Crimson after the event.
Ganz, who is a lecturer in leadership, organizing, and civil society at HKS, said the inspiration for his book goes back to his time as an undergraduate at Harvard.
“I think the inspiration is really the work I’ve been doing since I was a junior here,” Ganz said. “It’s the people that I’ve worked with and the possibilities that I see.”
Ganz said one of the goals of his book is to share teachings from his HKS courses with audiences outside of Harvard. Lacey A. Connelly, who is the head teaching fellow of Ganz's public narrative course, was in attendance at the event and said the book mirrors the content of the class.
“It’s a book that makes us really think about why we’re interested in the changes that we want to make in the world, and who it is that we need to bring along with us in order to make those changes happen,” Connelly said.
The event was moderated by Doran Schrantz, who serves as the executive director of a grassroots organization in Minnesota. Schrantz wrote in a statement to The Crimson that Ganz’s book closely relates to the work of her organization ISAIAH, a coalition of faith-based advocacy groups.
“What resonates with me so much about how Marshall talks and teaches organizing is that he fundamentally centers human development, motivation and the practice of making *learning* happen,” she wrote.
“Ultimately, this is a very practical book. And we have thousands and thousands of people in America looking for a way to have agency in this moment,” she added.
Maggie A. Hughes, who is a member of the HKS Practicing Democracy Project led by Ganz, said the event was “very empowering.”
“I think I really appreciate his perspective on the importance of talking about power and naming power and those dynamics there,” Hughes said.
Ganz said his book is a “hopeful piece of work” that reminds readers to take action on issues they face.
“A lot of things are screwed up, but just talking about how screwed up they are does not do anything about them. And so the challenge is to take responsibility, to work with others, to build the kind of power we need to fix things,” he said.
