Gale Force: Gale Cincotta / The Battles for Disclosure and Community Reinvestment

Gale Cincotta was one of this country's greatest organizers and activists.  Called the mother of community reinvestment, she led the attack on redlining, community disinvestment and predatory lending, resulting in two groundbreaking measures, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) and the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which broke the back of housing discrimination throughout the nation.  Tough, feisty and courageous - characteristics in short supply these days - she was a force of nature with a human heart.

"In their book Gale Force, Michael Westgate and Ann Vick-Westgate have brought Gale Cincotta back to life.  Through dozens of interviews with friends, colleagues, politicians and former opponents, they portray the essence of her strong personality, the obstacles she faced, the strategies she used to pursue her goals, the friends and allies who helped her and the people she alienated.  It is a gripping story, told with passion and devotion, about one of our unsung heroines.  What a life it was!"  - Pablo Eisenberg, former Executive Director, Center for Community Change

"Gale Force is rich with information and a fascinating read.  Its publication ensures that the work of one of the most important organizers of the last few decades is available to the next generation.  The book is a "must read" for anyone interested in the history of community organizing in America."  -Aaron Schutz, Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and author of Collective Action for Social Change: An Introduction to Community Organizing