Friday, February 17, 2006
Brother Outsider
Tonight those of you zeks, (well it's not liike I expected urkis to show exactly!) who missed seeing 'Brother Outsider' and that was most of you! I know !! you missed a really good film that revealed a lot even I did not know about the Civil Rights Era. I did not know what I should about Bayard Rustin, who was perhaps one of the greatest organizers on the planet!
He was also a fantastic singer and a brilliant man. Some of why he is not better known has to do with the fact he was also gay. Back when I was growing up, being gay was seen a lot differently. He did not let it keep him from doing things, but he was in the background. This kept him alive when so many brilliant leaders in all communities were being assasinated. It brought back memories of an era that in many ways I remember fondly. I don't like the zombie like apathy of present times.
Bayard Rustin was the man who did the organizing for the March on Washington, and he gave Dr. Martin Luther King his REAL education on non-violence! It was interesting to see the walkie talkies in use then the size of a phone book! with a LONG antenna too! To think all those people 200,000 of them were orgqnized on 2x5 cards, with walkie talkies, and mimeograph machines and old diesel busses! Such memories to see all of that!
This was a short documentary film and was followed by discussion. One of the instructors and his wife showed up, she was in the Poor People's March when it passed through Reno. She met Bayard Rustin and had memories. The woman who ran the projector was present in LA for the Rodney King Uprising. It was fascinating to hear their experiences. I of course shared some of my own memories.
Thanks for the ride home Professor Strong! If you visit there's film of the Hell Hounds and you will see why I really appreciated having a ride home, normally at two blocks well no biggie, but those Hell Hounds changed things.
One of them was out, Daddy Hell Hound. He was on 15th where he plain did not belong.
I was lucky to be upwind of him, so I took the long way around and avoided problems. I need to go someplace tomorrow to pay a bill.
I think I'll take a bus and avoid the Hell Hounds. If I do it right, it shouldn't be hard getting down there without an encounter. Then I need to do my Spanish. I am so relieved not to have the other classes!
He was also a fantastic singer and a brilliant man. Some of why he is not better known has to do with the fact he was also gay. Back when I was growing up, being gay was seen a lot differently. He did not let it keep him from doing things, but he was in the background. This kept him alive when so many brilliant leaders in all communities were being assasinated. It brought back memories of an era that in many ways I remember fondly. I don't like the zombie like apathy of present times.
Bayard Rustin was the man who did the organizing for the March on Washington, and he gave Dr. Martin Luther King his REAL education on non-violence! It was interesting to see the walkie talkies in use then the size of a phone book! with a LONG antenna too! To think all those people 200,000 of them were orgqnized on 2x5 cards, with walkie talkies, and mimeograph machines and old diesel busses! Such memories to see all of that!
This was a short documentary film and was followed by discussion. One of the instructors and his wife showed up, she was in the Poor People's March when it passed through Reno. She met Bayard Rustin and had memories. The woman who ran the projector was present in LA for the Rodney King Uprising. It was fascinating to hear their experiences. I of course shared some of my own memories.
Thanks for the ride home Professor Strong! If you visit there's film of the Hell Hounds and you will see why I really appreciated having a ride home, normally at two blocks well no biggie, but those Hell Hounds changed things.
One of them was out, Daddy Hell Hound. He was on 15th where he plain did not belong.
I was lucky to be upwind of him, so I took the long way around and avoided problems. I need to go someplace tomorrow to pay a bill.
I think I'll take a bus and avoid the Hell Hounds. If I do it right, it shouldn't be hard getting down there without an encounter. Then I need to do my Spanish. I am so relieved not to have the other classes!
# posted by Katja R. @ 9:02 PM 
