Three days before I left for Guatemala back in September, I got a phone call from Lynne Sabio. Lynne is the widow of Mario Sabio, the great activist and founder of the Free Speech Movement at UC-Berkeley in the 1960s that laid the foundation for the anti-war movemment, women’s movement, and many other progressive stuggles. Needless to say, Mario is a hero of mine and many student (and former student) activists. So it made me truly smile when Lynne told me that I, alongside my rock star Youth Speaks poet Christsna Sot and environmental justice activist Ellen Choy, had won this year’s Mario Savio Young Activist Award.
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It was totally unexpected news, and truth be told, I’m not a big award person (other than the Grammy Awards…but I’m still waiting for my invitation for my hyphy remix of Fiddler on the Roof’s “If I Were a Rich Man”). But hey, if you’re gonna get an award, it might as well be for radical free speech and youth organizing. So next week I’m going to take two buses, a plane, and eventually a beloved BART train to come back to the Bay for a couple days and accept the award in person. I’m working on my song for my acceptance speech right now. Take that, Grammys. Â
If you’re in the Bay and free next Tuesday, come up to Berkeley (details below). I’ll be the one wearing the purple bow tie, being 10 times taller than Robert Reich.
Other than that, I’m planning to spend as much time at OccupyOakland as I can. I gotta make up for lost time! I can’t believe folks had the first general strike in 65 years when I was gone…but damn, well freaking done, my friends.
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Who knows? Maybe the award ceremony will turn into the next #Occupation.Â
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Mario Savio Lecture & Young Activist Award Presentation
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 · 8:00 PM
Lecture by Robert Reich, “Class Warfare in America”
Awards presented to Josh Healey, Christsna Sot, and Ellen Choy
Pauley Ballroom, MLK Jr. Student Center, UC Berkeley
Free & open to the public. Doors open at 6:30 PM.
www.savio.org
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If you could post a copy of your speech/poem that would be awesome. I loved it!
Loved hearing you tonight. Hoping there’s a recording of it floating around somewhere–so many good zings, couldn’t tweet them all.
11.15.11
i’m an old vet of the 60s struggles [76 yr old] … your poem tonight on the savio step brought tear of joy to my eyes .. is there a chance of getting a copy of the text?
in solidarity …
george killingsworth
2111 stuart st
berkeley ca 94705
510.540.7853
curiousg@earthlink.net
Congratulations on the Mario Savio award. Really enjoyed “when hope comes back” tonight. Have you published that anywhere? Would like to hear/read it again.
Thanks,
Tim