Love And Struggle

Gilbert David

Description

David Gilbert arrived at Columbia University just in time for the explosive Sixties. From the early anti-Vietnam war protests to the founding of SDS, Gilbert was on the scene: as organiser, theoretician and, above all, activist. Writing from a maximum security prison following the disaster of the 1982 Brinks robbery, he recounts the Weather Underground movement in this extraordinary memoir. Written with candour and humour, this is an uncompromising and reflective account of the Sixties and beyond.

Sujets

• Lettres et linguistique

Informations

• Publié par: PM Press
• Date de parution: 05 janvier 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781604866872
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

Extrait

Praise for Love and Struggle

“Warnîng: tîs îs not your daddy’s New et eroîc adventure memoîr, nor îs ît your conventîona rîgt-turn mea cupa. Dave Gîbert as wrîtten an onest, se-crîtîca, sometîmes paînu, sometîmes umorous reLectîon on wat e earned over te course o tree decades o actîvîsm. Hîs journey rom democrat to revoutîonary was Ied wît mîstakes and mîscacuatîons, as we as extraordînary însîgts and reveatîons. Speakîng to a new generatîon o actîvîsts, Gîbert remînds us tat speeces and demonstratîons aone do not make cange, and te ‘good Igt’ o te 1960s and ’70s was a goba Igt—a bod act o soîdarîty wît te word’s oppressed.” —Robîn D.G. Keey, autor oFreedom Dreams: he Back Radîca ïmagînatîon

“Davîd Gîbert’s story îs a tae o conscîousness, countercuture, and actîon durîng te generatîon o revoutîon, ove, and ope. A tae o te best and worst o Amerîca, o strugge and ove, and o ope and repressîon.” —Zack de a Roca, rapper, poet, actîvîst, Rage Agaînst te Macîne vocaîst

“Requîred readîng or anyone înterested în te îstory o radîca movements în tîs country. An onest, vîvîd portraît o a îe spent passîonatey Igtîng or justîce. ïn teîng îs story, Gîbert aso reveas te îstory o et strugges în te 1960s and’70s, and împarts împortant essons or today’s actîvîsts. —Jordan Faerty, autor oFoodînes: Communîty and Resîstance rom Katrîna to te Jena Sîx

“hîs story îs rom a true reedom Igter, a warrîor agaînst U.S. împerîaîsm and or peace and justîce.” —Roxanne Dunbar-Ortîz, autor oOutaw Woman: A Memoîr o te War Years, 1960–75

“Wen Macom X saîd Jon Brown was îs standard or wîte actîvîsm, e coud ave easîy meant Davîd Gîbert. He îs our generatîon’s Jon Brown. Hîs support o Back îberatîon as a metod o reeîng te word îs to be studîed, apprecîated, and appîed.” —Jared A. Ba, assocîate proessor o communîcatîon studîes at Morgan State Unîversîty, autor oï Mîx Wat ï Lîke! A Mîxtape Manîesto

“Davîd Gîbert’s memoîr îs a gît to te uture. Hîs story brîngs togeter tree generatîons o socîa justîce movements. he book îs more tan a ascînatîng îstory o an încredîbe îe; ît îs an exampe o poîtîca praxîs. Gîbert combînes umor and umîîty, anaysîs and adventure, as e sows wat ît means to îve one’s îe în pursuît o reedom. Brîmmîng wît însîgt and optîmîsm,Love and Struggesows te way.” —Dan Berger, autor oOutaws în Amerîca: he Weater Underground and te Poîtîcs o Soîdarîty

“Davîd Gîbert as wrîtten a rîgorousy onest, anaytîc memoîr tat grappes wît te many dîmensîons o îs îstory as a revoutîonary antî-împerîaîst. Respondîng to a request rom îs son to wrîte a book tat reLects on îs persona experîences, Davîd îs unaraîd to examîne îs mîstakes and sortcomîngs, especîay regardîng sexîsm and racîsm, wîe airmîng te revoutîonary prîncîpes tat ave guîded îm trougout îs adut îe. For tîrty years, Davîd as engaged în a dynamîc conversatîon across te was about radîca îstory and te pat orward.Love and Struggeîs a compeîng contrîbutîon to tat crîtîca dîaogue.” —Dîana Bock, actîvîst, autor oArm te Spîrît: A Woman’s Journey Underground and Back

“Davîd Gîbert was tere wen ît a jumped of: rom te Cîvî Rîgts movement, to te emergence o Back Power, to te movement agaînst te U.S. war în Vîetnam and te subsequent years o resîstance agaînst te genocîda poîcîes our government was carryîng out în our name. hîs starky onest îstory—tod rom te prîson ce were Davîd as spent tîrty years and were, î notîng canges, e wî spend seventy-Ive to îe—îs înused wît te sarp înteîgence o a scoar and te courage o a man o conscîence. ït îs u o ope, even as ît recounts, wît brave onesty, too many osses and ard essons earned.” —aura Wîteorn, actîvîst, ormer poîtîca prîsoner

“îke many o îs contemporarîes, Davîd Gîbert gambed îs îe on a vîsîon o a more just and generous word. Hîs partîcuar bet cost îm te ast tree decades în prîson, and weter or not you agree wît îs youtu decîsîon, you can be te beneIcîary o îs years o deep tougt, reLectîon, and anaysîs on te reaîty we a sare. ï urge you to read ît.” —Peter Coyote, actor, autor oSeepîng Were ï Fa

“Ater suferîng tîrty years o ard tîme în severa o Amerîca’s most bruta dungeons, ater endurîng separatîon and îsoatîon and oss, ater bravîng a decades-ong campaîgn o demonîzatîon and mîsînormatîon orcestrated rom te pînnaces o power, Davîd Gîbert speaks up wît ope and a sîmpe carîty tat beîes îs cîrcumstances. hîs îs a unîque and necessary voîce orged în te growîng Amerîcan guag, te underbey o te ‘and o te ree,’ oferîng a ocused and unassaîabe crîtîque as we as a vîsîon o a word tat coud be but îs not yet—a pace o peace and ove, joy and justîce. Gîbert’s umanîty, dîgnîty, and întegrîty are entîrey întact, îs Ierce înteîgence u up, îs sense o urgency uncanged. Anyone wo wants to understand te sorry state we are în and opes to partîcîpate în Indîng a more opeu pat orward soud read tîs passîonate and compeîng book. —Bî Ayers, autor oFugîtîve DaysandTeacîng Toward Freedom

“hîs book soud stîmuate earnîng rom our poîtîca prîsoners, but more împortanty ît caenges us to work to ree tem, and în doîng so take te best o our îstory orward.” —Susan Rosenberg, autor oAnAmerîcan Radîca: Poîtîca Prîsoner în My Own Country

“Davîd Gîbert’s revoutîonary spîrît vîbrates ater tîrty years în prîson. Hîs wîsdom and ove ave empowered îm to wîtstand and posîtîvey transorm persona and poîtîca dîicutîes trougout te decades and stî remaîn a ovîng and courageous uman beîng and teacer. Most împortanty, te reader cannot escape a dîaogue wît te eart and a constant reexamînatîon o wat îs rea and uman about ove and strugge. Gîbert’s understandîng o mîstakes made în te name o îberatîon serves as a vauabe esson and înspîratîon. hîs îs a book o ope kînded în te ove and strugge o te word’s peope.” —Aîcîa and ucy Rodrîguez, ormer Puerto Rîcan poîtîca prîsoners

Love and Struggle My Life in SDS, the Weather Underground, and Beyond David Gilbert

Love and Struggle: My Life in SDS, the Weather Underground, and Beyond David Gilbert

© PM Press 2012 All rigts reserved. No part of tis book may be transmitted by any means witout permission in writing from te publiser PO Box 23912 Oakland, CA 94623 www.pmpress.org

Cover by Jon Yates Interior design by Jonatan BHR

ISBN: 978-1-60486-319-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2011927953 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed in te USA on recycled paper, by te employee owners of homson-Sore in Dexter, Micigan. www.tomsonsore.com

CONTENTS

An Appreciation by Boots Riley

INTRODUCTION

BEGINNINGS Missing the Wink Illusions Replaced by a Dream

THE 1960S AND THE MAKING OF A REVOLUTIONARY Columbia and the Black Struggle Assault on a Black-Jewish Alliance Black Education Black Power Internationalism Vietnam National SDS Local Action “Hey, Hey, LBJ, How Many Kids Did You Kill Today?” Strike! Women: Relationships Women: Politics Sex, Drugs, and Rock ’n’ Roll Political Theory The Weapon of Theory Revolutionary Youth Movement COINTELPRO From Protest to Resistance Equal Rights and Unequal Power First Bust Affinity Groups Foco Revolution in Our Lifetime? Making Choices Sectarianism A Seismic Fault Line The Split of SDS

THE MOST SANE/INSANE OF TIMES Criticism/Self-Criticism Breaking and Brawling Fighting in the Streets Rocky Mountain High On a Life Trip The Panthers in Denver County Jail War Council The Townhouse

1

5

9 14 18

23

25 29 30 31 33 35 42 42 45

46 51 55 61 65 72 75 79 86 92 95 98 100 102 105 106 110 113

119 123 127 132 134 140 142 144 147 149

UNDERGROUND Weather Declares War High on Youth Culture New Morning Encirclement Clandestinity Regrouping Action Status and Hierarchy Democratic Centralism The Doldrums Kathy Boudin Prairie Fire Organization Man Hard Times Things Fall Apart Alone

A MILE HIGH: ABOVEGROUND IN DENVER Back to Brookline Rebuilding My Life in Denver Adams Street Men Against Sexism El Comité Iran My Two Worlds Collide Sexist Dog of the Century

BACK UNDER Socialism? Dancing Feet Back Above, the Hard Way

BUSTED Trial by Trial Isolation Climbing Mountains The Rock Is a Hard Place Daily Life Facing Life Heading up the River

AFTERWORD Five Pages on Twenty-Eight Years

GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

153 161 164 166 171 177 179 180 185 189 192 198 199 205 210 217 225

229 236 238 240 241 243 247 249 251

257 263 265 271

275 278 279 286 296 305 310 317

321 323

329

333

—To today’s activists and organizers—

“ove îs an actîon, never sîmpy a eeîng.” be ooks

“Mask no dîicutîes, mîstakes, aîures. Caîm no easy vîctorîes… Our experîence as sown us tat în te genera ramework o daîy strugge tîs batte agaînst ourseves, tîs strugge agaînst our own weaknesses… îs te most dîicut o a.” Amícar Cabra

{ An Appreciation by Boots Riley }