It’s a name that doesn’t come up often. But it’s a name that GOP presidential hopeful, Newt Gingrich has been repeatedly bringing up throughout his campaign. Alinsky was an influential community organizer in Chicago during the first half of the 20th century. And Gingrich uses the name when he wants to attack President Obama. So who was Alinsky and what is his role in American politics? Lynn Sweet is Washington bureau chief for the Chicago Sun-Times. Sandy Horwitt is author of “Let Them Call Me Rebel: The Life & Legacy of Saul Alinsky.”
The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.
When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.