Gale Cincotta was a co-founder with Shel Trapp of the National People's Action in Chicago, a coalition of some 300 community organizations throughout the United States, and served as its executive director and chairperson from 1973 until her death in 2001.
19 Facts About Gale Cincotta
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Gale Cincotta's father was Greek and her mother was Latvian, and they ran Greek restaurants.
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Gale Cincotta's parents were Socialists, and Cincotta grew up around political talk in her father's restaurant.
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Gale Cincotta grew up in Garfield Park, and stayed on Chicago's West Side.
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In school, although she was punished for it, Gale Cincotta described herself as ethnically American.
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Gale Cincotta left school after tenth grade, and married a gas station owner.
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Gale Cincotta had her first child at seventeen, and had six sons total.
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In 1952, Gale Cincotta made the decision to send her children to Chicago Public Schools, and as they matriculated, she became increasingly displeased with the quality of their education.
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Gale Cincotta's sons were not learning to read, classrooms were overcrowded, and textbooks were worn and outdated.
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Gale Cincotta learned that the school system was spending $250 per student per year in Austin, compared with $650 per student in other schools.
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Gale Cincotta joined the Parent-Teacher Association to work to improve conditions in the school and in the city.
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Gale Cincotta became aware that the quality of the schools was tied to the real estate values in the area.
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Gale Cincotta's activism branched from direct involvement with her children's schools to local movements for fairer financial practices.
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Gale Cincotta led protests against unfair landlords and saw results.
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Also in the early 1970s, Gale Cincotta took a position with the Metropolitan Area Housing Alliance.
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In 1970, to protest inadequate pest control in Austin, Gale Cincotta led a group of 100 protesters to nail a rat to the ward alderman's office door.
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In 1980, Gale Cincotta was responsible for placing Saturday Night Live's Land Shark above the entrance to the Federal Reserve Bank, and red tape strung around the building.
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In 1985, Gale Cincotta received the Chicago Commission on Human Rights Award, and Gale Cincotta was named one of the Ms.
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Gale Cincotta won the first Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago Neighborhood Partnership Award.