For over 25 years of labor and community organizing, Denise Perry has dedicated herself to developing strong grassroots leaders, democratic organizations, and progressive social movements.
Throughout her career, she organized health care workers into labor unions in the east and southeast; directed field training for the Organizing Institute created curriculum, managed organizing sites, and worked with participating unions. Internationally she worked with a team to develop the Women’s Global Equity Project–an initiative that took her throughout Africa and the Caribbean to train and work with women-labor activists.
In 2001, Denise co-founded Power U Center for Social Change, rooted in Miami’s historically Black community of Overtown. Power U has equipped residents to challenge the displacement of low-income families by gentrification, blocking the proposed use of public land for luxury condominiums in the neighborhood. Other Power U projects are training youth to have a voice in school policies and engaging women in childbirth classes that also introduce them to social justice organizing increasing women leaders.
Bringing the work to the national level, Denise has served on several boards and played a key role in the development of the Right to the City Alliance and its work to connect with environmental justice issues.