Description

Effectively driving social change right now demands our ongoing focus, meaningful introspection, and committed collaborative effort. In the timely and insightful book, “Social Change Now,” racial justice advocate Deepa Iyer provides a comprehensive resource for both individuals and organizations ready to enhance their engagement with social justice.

We live in an era marked by simultaneous social, economic, and environmental crises, worsened by the shortcomings of our public systems and institutions. Given these circumstances, it’s understandable that many of us experience a constant swing between intense outrage and overwhelming fatigue when trying to stay committed to social justice. Whether you’re taking your first steps into social activism or you’re feeling exhausted and uncertain about how to move forward, how do you anchor yourself effectively in your struggle for equity, solidarity, and justice?

This essential question serves as the foundation of Deepa Iyer’s “Social Change Now,” a compassionate and illuminating guide specifically designed to support anyone wishing to initiate or deepen their involvement in social movements. Drawing on twenty years of experience in grassroots organizing and advocacy, Iyer presents her “social change ecosystem framework,” a roadmap comprising ten essential activist roles—including builder, storyteller, disrupter, and experimenter—as well as proven approaches to clarify core values and strengthen activist communities. Since its introduction, the social change ecosystem framework has been adopted widely around the globe. People have used it to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, to demonstrate unwavering solidarity during uprisings against anti-Black racism, and to support intersectional coalitions fighting passionately for reproductive rights, climate justice, and the rights of immigrants and refugees.

More than simply introducing concepts and tools, “Social Change Now” is a deeply practical manual featuring concrete examples from real-world situations, reflective prompts and space for your responses, and straightforward, actionable tips you can implement immediately. This engaging book is designed to support and motivate readers through moments of crisis and well beyond, becoming a long-term companion on their journey toward creating connected communities, equitable systems, and lasting social justice.