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

by NA NA

Overview

In Activists Speak Out, a group of fifteen American activists speak candidly about how and why they struggle for change. Their causes and strategies vary - in the areas of civil rights, gay and lesbian rights, the environment, women's issues, health, youth, education, labor, freedom of expression and the arts. But the lessons learned resonate across geographic and ideological boundaries. Whether working as grass-roots organizers or corporate insiders, in cities or in rural areas, the through-line of their observations is constant: Change is slow, and may take shape in unexpected ways. Small victories count. And, whatever the initial motivation to become engaged in the struggle for change - anger, compassion, frustration - the very process of engagement is itself transformative. You cross that line, and nothing is ever the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312235048
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	01/01/2000
Edition description:	1st ed. 2090
Pages:	279
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.03(d)

About the Author

Marie Cieri is former Director of The Arts Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently a Doctoral Candidate in Geography at Rutgers University.

Claire Peeps is Director of the Durfee Foundation, a Los Angeles based organization that supports projects in community development and the arts.

Table of Contents

Interviews with: Barbara Trent
• Bernice Johnson Reagon
• Norma Swenson
• Joe Marshall *Amalia Mesa Bains
• Esther Kaplan
• Gail Snowdon
• Lynne Sowder *Lily Yeh
• Mel Chin
• Carl Anthony *Mary Ellen Beaver
• Joan Robinett
• Skipp Porteous
• Cleve Jones

Editorial Reviews

Why do people become activists? What drives them after years of struggle? Cieri and Peeps interviewed the creator of the AIDS quilt, the leader of Sweet Honey in the Rock, one of the first editors of Our Bodies, Ourselves, the host of the syndicated radio show Street Soldiers, and other less famous activists to find the answers to those questions and more. Since the editors are actively involved in arts administration and the support of artists, many of the interviewees are engaged in the arts and discuss how the conservative movement is affecting them as artists and their relations with their colleagues. Though the stories make for fascinating reading, many of these interviews were conducted in 1996, so some of these people may be facing different issues now. Nevertheless, that flaw, this work would be an excellent addition to most libraries with arts administration, urban studies, and American studies collections.--Danna Bell-Russel, Library of Congress Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Activists for social change talk about their causes, strategies, and the impact of their work in terms of personal transformation, sacrifice, and dedication. Presented in Q&A format and with an emphasis on the arts, chapters cover a spectrum of causes, including civil rights, gay rights, the environment, women's issues, health, youth, education, labor, and freedom of expression. The 15 interviewees include Bernice Johnson Reagon, founder of the musical group Sweet Honey in the Rock; Mary Ellen Beaver, an advocate for migrant workers; and AIDS activist Cleve Jones, founder of the Names Project. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews