George Lakey, a Cheyney University graduate and veteran of social activism, is in Pittsburgh for a book discussion and workshop, writes Bill O’Driscoll for 90.5 WESA, Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station.

A life-long activist, Lakey was arrested for the first time in 1963, during a civil rights demonstration. Two years later, he published his guide book for activists, A Manual for Direct Action.

Lakey has spent more than a half-century organizing campaigns for peace, LGBT rights, the environment, and other issues. He recently published an update to his original book, entitled How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning.

As an organizer, Lakey emphasizes a key distinction between mobilizing for marches and sustained campaigns that create real change. However, Lakey, who recently retired as a visiting professor at Swarthmore College, also acknowledges that getting people to commit to campaigns that could last for years is still a struggle.

“In organizing, you are not only getting people into the streets, you are getting them to continue the struggle,” he said.

Read more about George Lakey at 90.5 WESA here.

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