Activists Speak Out: Reflections on the Pursuit of Change in America

284 Pages·2000·27.033 MB·English

by  NA NA

ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
DOD

ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
DOD
REFLECTIONS ON THE PURSUIT
OF CHANGE IN AMERICA
Edited by
Marie Cieri
and
Claire Peeps
palgrave
*
ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
© Marie Cieri and Claire Peeps, 2000
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in
any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
First published 2000 by
PALGRAVE
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y 10010 and
Houndrnills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Companies and representatives throughout the world.
PALGRAVE is the new global publishing imprint of St. Martin's Press
LLC Scholarly and Reference Division and Palgrave Publishers Ltd
(formerly Macmillan Press Ltd).
ISBN 978-0-312-23504-8 ISBN 978-1-349-63044-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-63044-8
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Activists speak out : reflections on the pursuit of change in America I
edited by Marie Cieri & Claire Peeps.
p. cm.
Includes index.
1. Social movements-United States. 2. Social problems-United
States. 3. Social Reformers-United States-Interviews. l. Cieri,
Marie. II. Peeps, Claire.
HM881.A27 2000
303.48'4-dc21 00-062606
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
Design by Letra Libre, Inc.
First edition: December, 2000
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Transferred to Digital Printing 2008
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments Vll
Introduction:You Cross That Line 1
Marie Cieri
INTERVIEWS
1. Barbara Trent, documentary film/U.S. foreign policy 15
2. Bernice Johnson Reagon, music/ civil rights 35
3. Norma Swenson, women's health 53
4. Joseph Marshall, youth at risk 75
5. Esther Kaplan, AIDS/ abortion rights/civil rights 87
6. Gail Snowden, banking/underserved populations 103
7. Lynne Sowder, corporate art collecting 119
8. Lily Yeh, art/urban revitalization 131
9. Mel Chin, art/environment/mass media 147
10. Carl Anthony, environment/social justice 163
11. Mary Ellen Beaver, migrant labor 173
12. Joan Robinett, industrial pollution 191
13. Amalia Mesa-Bains, art/Chicano movement 209
14. Skipp Porteous, freedom of expression 229
15. Cleve Jones, AIDS 251
Conclusion: Getting in History's Way 269
Claire Peeps
Appendix 273
Index 275

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
IF YOU'RE VERY LUCKY IN LIFE, you might find someone-a friend, or
colleague-whose wisdom and support sustains you. For this project, we
have been fortunate to have two such allies whose interest and loyalty
have been indispensable: Archibald Gillies and Pamela Clapp of The
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. This book would not have
been possible without their unwavering confidence and extraordinary
generosity. We are grateful for the foundation's gift of time and financial
support that allowed us to travel and meet with activists around the
United States and to reflect on what we learned.
Thanks, also, to others at the Warhol Foundation: the board of directors
for their support, Emily Todd for early encouragement, and Vivienne Bar
riffe for assistance throughout.
We are deeply indebted to the many activists who agreed to be inter
viewed for this project. Their candor, passion, and selfless dedication were
constantly rejuvenating sources of inspiration throughout the many
months of our research. We are privileged to have spent time with these
leaders, from whom we have learned so much: Sue Anderson, Carl An
thony,Jose Artiga,Judy Baca, Teresa Caudill Bates and Carol Wright, Mary
Ellen Beaver, Joe Begley, Father Gregory Boyle, Bob Brehm, Ann Brown,
Jack Calhoun, Mel Chin, Tyree Coleman, Ola Cassadore Davis and Mike
Davis, Pat and Tom Gish, James Green, Jan Hillegas, Judi Jennings, Hazel
Johnson, Cleve Jones, Esther Kaplan, Maxine Kenney,Anne Lewis, Herb E.
Smith, Stewart Kwoh, Abby Leibman, Iiiigo Manglano-Ovalle, Joseph
Marshall, Tim McFeeley, Pam McMichael, Amalia Mesa-Bains, John
O'Neal, Angela Oh, Pepon Osorio, Rosanna Perez, Skipp Porteous,
Bernice Johnson Reagon, Joan Robinett, Ada Sanchez, Peter Schumann,
Pete Seeger, Joe Selvaggio, Gail Snowden, Kasha Songer, Lynne Sowder,
Joe Szakos, Norma Swenson, Barbara Trent, Guida West and Lily Yeh. Spe
cial thanks to Jack Calhoun, Tyree Coleman, Ola Cassadore Davis, Mike
Davis, and Rosanna Perez for their special efforts in guiding us; their in
sights informed the outcome of the book.
viii 0 ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT
For their patience and meticulous attention to detail in transcribing
the interviews, thanks to Laurel Kishi, Sara Wolf, Andrea Lazar, and Jean
Moncrieff.
To the many individuals who shared their time, expertise and grassroots
networks in referring us to dozens of activists: Andrew Griffiths, Hillary
Smith, Caron Atlas, Peter Taub,Jack Calhoun, C. Carr, Walter Echo-Hawk,
Carol Seajay, Kenneth Freed, Chip Berlet, Andrea Miller-Keller, James
Green, Kathy Halbreich, Steve Durland, Norman Frisch, Elia Arce, Robert
Dawson, Ellen Manchester, Bill Cleveland, Jennifer Dowley, Melanne
Verveer, Karen Ito, Judith Luther, John Malpede, Branda Miller, Sandy
asawa, Kathie deNobriga, Mark Murphy, and Cynthia Mayeda.
To those good friends and colleagues who gave so generously of their
time to read and reread the book through several drafts, offering vital feed
back: Katy Kline, Neil Smith, Briavel Holcomb, and Cynthia Rallis. And
to others who offered invaluable advice and other kinds of moral support:
Torie Osborne, Robert Flynt, Joanne Rizzi, Jacki Ochs, Suzanne Sato,
Steve Lewers, Katrina Kennison, Denny Griffith, Mas Masumoto, Mark
Pendras, Katy Kennedy, and Julia Carnahan.
Special thanks to Susan Dowling, who not only shared her time and
opinions in reviewing the manuscript, but also loaned a quiet space in
Maine for writing; and to Nathan Birnbaum, for editorial help, intellectual
challenge, and love.
To cultural workers Robbie McCauley and Peter Sellars, whose art
shines bright as silver. We have been privileged to work alongside them for
many years as they have created theater, opera, film, and festivals that are
community-based and artist-driven. They have helped us to locate art in
the center of community, not at its margins, and have taught us that spiri
tual searching, social justice, and personal and collective courage are basic
to artistic practice. Their example, friendship, and counsel over the years
have been a deep source of inspiration for this project.
Finally, to the wonderful staff at Palgrave: editor Karen Wolny for tak
ing us on and for handling the material with sensitivity and respect, Rick
Delaney and Amy McDermott for able production management, Enid
Stubin for copyediting, and Ella Peirce for seeing it through.
-Marie Cieri and Claire Peeps
YOU CROSS THAT LINE
Marie Cieri
I just knew things weren't right.
It's not always what everybody is doing, and it's not what the spirit of the
time is ... it's more just looking at really what is needed.
In a way, I'm selfish. I'm doing what Julfllls me. My life is made meaning
Jul, I'm made more humane ....
You've got to keep in mind that none of us had ever done this before.
· .. the only way society is going to change is one person at a time.
· .. don't consider yourself aJai/ure if you haven't changed the world, because
you have no comprehension of what you've done with all the seeds you've
planted.
I don 'I call them small victories, I call them big victories, because I know what
we're up against.
· .. don't think it's going to be easy, don't think you're not going to risk your
life. Sharpen all of your tools, including a Jew claws.
· .. I really, really Jeel the anger, but I also Jeel the importance of people tak
ing the high road .... that you actually embody the principles of the kind
of world you want to create. . ..
The thing is, so what, it's a challenge. You have to find a way to deal with it,
whatever it is. You just don't sit down and say, 'Well, what's the use?'You
don't belong in this job if you do.
· ..y ou cross that line, like Rosa Parks did. Like a lot oj people.
You cross that line, and everything you do is different.!
THIS IS A BOOK ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE changed themselves, and who
struggle to change the face of America. They are scattered throughout
this country, coming from different backgrounds, walks of life, and
points of view. They are known within their own communities and ac
tivist networks, but most are not famous and do not aspire to be. But