Grassroots organizations play a vital role as community efforts that are able to influence change on a local, state, or federal level. Especially in regards to the school-to-prison pipeline phenomena, grassroots are incredibly important since they resist a multitude of institutional forces comfortably benefitting off of the handicapping of many communities of color. Grassroots, unlike advocacy groups or special interest groups, both empower and enlarge the voices of the parents of many of the incarcerated children. Furthermore, these groups focus more on community mobilizing, whereas other special interest groups can be so policy-motivated that they disconnect from the vulnerable, marginalized populations.

I chose this group of grassroots organizations because it provides a wide array of approaches to the issue. Once you look over the organizations, you’ll notice how the groups all address issues beyond the over-criminalization of students. This recognition is important because the cure to this issue requires an effort to improve many areas within the life of an urban student, especially an urban student of color. Also, I include organizations from across the nation, to provide options that aren’t simply addressing one particular community.

Below, you’ll be able to view the image of what real grassroots organizers look like. They do approach their activism with suits, ties or a particular rhetoric. They present themselves as they are, which is authentic, affected, and ambitious.