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From one of Canada's best-known activists: illuminating and inspiring anecdotes and lessons for a new generation of troublemakers
Best known in Canada for defending pro-choice hero Dr. Henry Morgentaler from an attacker's knife in the 1980s, feminist, journalist, and writer Judy Rebick has been a brave and creative troublemaker for six decades, spanning a wide diversity of struggles, from the local to the global, women's liberation to anti-racist and Indigenous solidarity, anti-globalization to anti-Zionism, grassroots activism to national politics. She has also taken part in journalism both inside and outside the mainstream.
In How to Be a Troublemaker, Rebick reflects on her years of experience in light of a new rise of activism at a time that both challenges all the gains of her generation and offers the possibility for even more transformational change than the 1960s. Curating lessons and stories of her participation in multiple movements—from her student activism in the 1960s to her life as a feminist fighter in the 1980s and '90s, her attempts to reform the NDP, and her experience as an anti-Zionist Jew supporting Palestinian liberation—Rebick shares what she's learned from a lifetime of activism to inspire and inform young activists today.
"This is a gripping alternative history of contemporary times, told from the streets and union halls. Judy Rebick has devoted her powerful life force to social change, leading and building a stunning array of organizations and institutions. She has a huge amount to teach about how to build a broad and robust left, and I am so grateful that she chose to write it all down."
—Naomi Klein, author of End Times Fascism
"A must-read memoir by a political radical who fought the system and won."
—Mike Hoolboom, director of Judy Versus Capitalism
"How to Be a Troublemaker is like the best bike, scaling the steepest hills of our dysfunctional map with Judy's trademark determination and grit. Her joy in activism is matched by her wisdom in community. Her spokes sparkle, her bell wakes us up. There are no flat tires."
—John Greyson, director of Fig Trees and Zero Patience
"I first heard of Judy Rebick when I was a young feminist trying to understand the world. Today, as a woman in my late fifties, I am still learning from this elder and her insights from sixty years of brave organizing. How to Be a Troublemaker is essential reading for anyone who wants to change the world."
—Farzana Doctor, author of Seven and 52 Weeks to a Sweeter Life, for Caregivers, Activists and Helping Professionals
"Activist, shit disturber, fearless leader, comrade, friend ... I thought I knew Judy well, but this book is an eye-opener. Packed with stories of her amazing journey changing the world for women and for the powerless, How to Be a Troublemaker shows that in these challenging times, there are pathways to hope and revolutionary change. Love it!"
—Svend Robinson, former MP
"Judy Rebick is the only radical activist I know who isn't afraid to admit she's been in therapy, which may account for her ability to avoid black-and-white thinking, for her sense of fairness and tolerance, for her laugh-out-loud humour, and for her ability to listen. 'Big Ears' was what one of her fellow activists called her when she was president of NAC. So whether you agree or not with her political positions, everyone will benefit from reading this honest, compelling, and very personal book about how to change the world."
—Susan Swan, author of Big Girls Don't Cry
"In this time of democratic crisis, Judy teaches what we need not only to resist fascism but as important, to reimagine and rebuild. Finally, here is a book of lessons learned and changes wrought from someone who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice in streets and boardrooms, across social movements, never giving up on the vision of a better world. Judy makes it possible for each of us to take up the mantle, to act to protect what we love on this earth."
—Annahid Dashtgard, author and CEO, Anima Leadership
"Judy Rebick's organizing made the life I have possible. Reading her account of how she built the movements that changed Canada, fought for them, and sometimes got it wrong feels like sitting down with a generous mentor. This book distills decades of hard-won wisdom offered with the same courage and honesty she has brought to every fight of her life. It's essential reading for anyone building movements today."
—Amara Possian, founding board chair of Organizing Exchange
"We are taught not to be troublemakers. This intimate, passionate account shows how trouble can be beautiful—and necessary. Judy Rebick compels us all to break free of complacency, challenge the status quo, and be active and engaged in social change."
—Libby Davies, former MP and member of the Order of Canada
"There's a reason Judy Rebick is an activist godmother to so many good troublemakers today: She's blunt, caring, wise, principled, and forever down-to-earth. Most of all, she's generous with her wisdom, hard won over a lifetime of struggle. Inhale this book, then put its lessons to work!"
—Avi Lewis, journalist, filmmaker, and leader of Canada's NDP
Judy Rebick (she/her) is one of Canada's best-known feminists and the author of several books, including Heroes in My Head: A Memoir (House of Anansi). As president of Canada's largest women's group, the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, she became a major political force in the country. She co-hosted the prime-time debate show Face Off on CBC Newsworld and founded Canada's first independent online news and opinion publication, rabble.ca. She has taught at the University of Regina, the University of Toronto, and Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan) University, where she was appointed the CAW-Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice. She lives in Toronto, ON.
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- Rise Up: The Spirit of Protest
- Journalism: Disrupting the Manufacture of Consent
- Feminism: No More Patriarchy, No More Shit
- Electoral Politics: A Necessary Evil
- Violence (and Non-Violence): Is It Ever Justified?
- Equality Rights: Working with Marginalized People
- The Feminist Movement in Canada: A Success Story
- Intersectional Feminism: Racism and the Feminist Movement
- Quebec and the Charlottetown Accord
- Courage: Standing Up for Your Beliefs
- Recognizing and Using Your Privilege
- Leadership: Learning to Listen
- Making Mistakes and Changing Your Mind
- Democracy: Our Biggest Fight