Aaron Tanaka was just twenty two, a recent Harvard graduate, when he was given a small fellowship grant and the chance to test his chops as an organizer in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. Acknowledging that he was “just a kid who didn’t know what he was doing”, he trusted his mentors, people of color from the community with hard-earned lessons to share. Now, seven years later, Tanaka shares his journey as executive director of the Boston Workers Alliance, describing: - The lessons imparted by his mentors to build deep trust and engagement in the community. - The progression of his organization from a handful of people flyering to a force that fought and won groundbreaking reforms to the broken CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information) system. - The dicey moments when the theory of being accountable to members and board appeared to clash with the reality of running a nonprofit organization. Other resources from Aaron Tanaka:Aaron Tanaka: Creating a just, regenerative and democratic society:https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/2019/3/12/next-economy-nowSolidarity Philanthropy: Reparations, Democracy & Power: https://medium.com/justice-funders/solidarity-philanthropy-reparations-democracy-power-9961ef2e1b64Boston Ujima Project:https://ujimaboston.comSolidarity Economy Initiative:https://www.solidaritymass.com/New Economy Coalition:https://neweconomy.net/