Peter Dreier

Peter Dreier teaches Politics and chairs the Urban & Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College. His most recent book is The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame (Nation Books, 2012)

Why Did Democrats Ossoff and Parnell Lose Their Congressional Races In Georgia And South Carolina?

Peter Dreier: Pundits will be debating this question for a long while, but there’s one factor that made a huge difference.

Big Money Wins Big in LA School Board Race

Nick Melvoin and his billionaire backers dramatically outspent school board president Steve Zimmer’s campaign, making the District 4 race the most expensive in LAUSD history.

Who Are the Out-of-Town Billionaires Trying to Defeat Steve Zimmer?

The so-called “Independent” campaign for Melvoin — funded by big oil, big tobacco, Walmart, Enron, and other out-of-town corporations and billionaires — has included astonishingly ugly, deceptive, and false attack ads against Zimmer.

Nixon Redux?

“Tuesday Afternoon Massacre” firing of Comey reveals another big lie. Could it lead to Trump’s impeachment and resignation?

Pasadena’s Fuller Seminary Wants to Profit from Gentrification: City Officials Should Say “No”

If Fuller Seminary gets its way, the Pasadena Planning Commission, and then the City Council, will reverse a policy it approved a decade ago that requires the theological school to maintain affordable housing for its students

Fifty Years After King’s Famous Anti-War Speech, America Is Again Debating Guns Versus Butter

Peter Dreier: The Riverside Church speech, however, garnered considerable national publicity because the anti-war movement was gaining momentum…

Conversation on Immigrant Rights & Action — May 4th

Don’t miss a conversation with Pablo Alvarado, one of the nation’s leading immigrant rights activists, on Thursday, May 4, at the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center

Three Cheers for the Perez-Ellison DNC Team to Move the Democrats in a Progressive Direction

Peter Dreier: The battle between Ellison and Perez was often portrayed as a struggle between the party’s “progressive” and the “establishment” wings. That’s a mischaracterization. Both Ellison and Perez are long-time progressives.

Dear So-Called President Trump: Where’s My Protest Paycheck?

Peter Dreier: Last week you Tweeted that “Professional anarchists, thugs and paid protesters are proving the point of the millions of people who voted to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Protest PaycheckThank you for the reminder.

57 Years Ago Today – How Four College Students Started a Revolution

Peter Dreier: In hundreds of cities across the country, Americans of conscience — led by churches and synagogues, unions, and college students — demonstrated their support for the sit-ins by picketing in front of Woolworths stores, urging people to boycott the national chain until it desegregated its Southern lunch counters.

Protesters Make Citizens’ Arrest on Wells Fargo CEO

Peter Dreier: The demonstrators demanded that the bank cease foreclosing on innocent victims and instead agree to modify mortgages and reduce loan principals to help struggling homeowners remain in their homes.

What Women Suffragists Can Teach Anti-Trump Protesters

Peter Dreier: During the 18 months of the “silent sentinels” outside the White House, more than 1,000 women picketed, every day except Sunday.

Republicans Flummoxed Over Repealing Obamacare

Peter Dreier: After six years of demonizing Obamacare and demanding its repeal, the Republicans still haven’t figured out how to do it without inflicting huge political damage on themselves, because so many people in GOP districts and states now rely on Obamacare.