Saul Alinsky, popularly known as the “father of community organizing,” has garnered praise from figures ranging from Cesar Chavez to William F. Buckley. Through his writing — especially the 1971 book Rules for Radicals — and through organizations modeled on his Industrial Areas Foundation, Alinsky’s views continue to influence those seeking to build and lead successful community organizations.

Alinsky’s ideas have long held a canonical place in community organizing literature and training curricula, but interest in his life and work was sparked again in 2008 after Barack Obama’s election. Obama had cited him as an influence in his first book, Dreams from My Father.

The rising Tea Party movement developed a paranoid obsession with Alinsky, which persists among today’s “alt-right.” Articles appeared across conservative media with titles like “How Saul Alinsky Taught Barack Obama Everything He Knows About Civic Upheaval.” Glenn Beck even produced a four-part radio series to expose Alinsky’s “vision for a Godless, centrally controlled utopia.” This right-wing obsession fueled attacks on community organizations like the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), which ultimately led to its dissolution in 2010.