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Class Action

Bridging the class divide

Mourning the loss of Felice Yeskel

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Felice Yeskel, co-founder of Class Action, passed away in her home early this morning after a courageous struggle with cancer.

Felice was a tireless activist working to bring about social change. Through fearlessly sharing her personal story, first as a lesbian and later sharing her working-class history to help break down the walls of classism, she touched the lives of thousands of people. Her passion to help create a more just world for all of us led her and Chuck Collins to found United for a Fair Economy, to found  the Stonewall Center at UMASS, and six years ago to found Class Action, the anti-classist organization she had been dreaming of for 30 years.

Services for Felice are today (Tuesday January 11) at the Jewish Community of Amherst (Main Street) at 2 pm, followed by a reception at 4:30 at the Pioneer Valley Cohousing, 120 Pulpit Hill Road in Amherst.

All of us connected to Class Action extend our heartfelt sympathy to her partner Felicia and her daughter Shira.

Felice’s spirit and energy as a revolutionary, a teacher and a visionary leader live on in all of us whose lives she helped transform.

We invite you to write your memories of Felice in the comment field below.

Betsy Leondar-Wright

About Betsy Leondar-Wright

Betsy is an associate professor of sociology at Lasell University. She has worked for economic justice nonprofit organizations, including as the communications director of United for a Fair Economy and as the program director Class Action. Betsy's books on class and classism include Missing Class: Strengthening Social Movement Groups By Seeing Class Cultures.

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Class Action inspires action to end classism and extreme inequality by providing tools, training and inspiration to raise awareness, understand the relationship of class and race, shift cultural beliefs about social class, build cross-class solidarity and transform institutions and systems.