Muste Notes Summer 2004
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
June 15, 2004 Dear Friends, We’re sad to report the recent loss of two friends of the Muste Institute. David MUSTE Dellinger was a well-known activist, a close News from the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute associate of A.J.’s for many years, and a member of our advisory committee. Nancy Muste Baker, A.J.’s last surviving child, was always supportive of the Institute’s work and her father’s memory. You can NOTES read more about both of them in this issue. You can also read here about our most VOL. 11, NUMBER 4 SUMMER 2004 recent grantees and their efforts to keep important issues like civilian casualties, Nonviolence Trainers war profiteering, conscientious objection and the death penalty in the public eye this election year. As activism swells and word Build Capacity spreads about the Muste Institute, we have Twenty-two people gathered at the addressing oppression issues, incarcera- been flooded with proposals from groups scenic Cayuga Nature Center near tion, affinity groups and health issues doing wonderful work. Unfortunately, Ithaca, New York, on April 2-4, 2004, for related to direct action. At the end of the we’re forced to send many of them away a weekend training for nonviolence training, participants were tired but empty-handed. We wish we could expand trainers organized by Syracuse Peace much better prepared to work as nonvi- our grantmaking program to meet the Council and partially funded by a grant olence trainers. “My favorite aspects tremendous need. Can you help? from the A.J. Muste Memorial Institute. were the role play section and the part I hope you’ll take a moment to read the The training was designed to make where we facilitated a section,” wrote enclosed letter from Muste Institute sup- upcoming nonviolent actions more one participant in the final evaluation. “I porter and noted activist historian Howard effective by: (1) developing new trainers felt these two really contributed to what Zinn, and that you will join Howard and and (2) improving the skills of existing I consider to be a real breakthrough me in giving generously to the Institute’s trainers. experience overall.” efforts to foster and sustain the growing The training brought together A 125-page resource manual for non- nonviolent movement for justice. activists from many parts of upstate violence trainers was provided to New York, as well as from New York participants to assist them as they return City and Massachusetts to work to their communities to build the move- In peace, through sections on nonviolence, group ment for peace and justice. For more process and consensus, role plays, and information, contact Syracuse Peace legal issues. The four lead trainers also Council, 315-472-5478, spc@peacecoun- Murray Rosenblith presented or led exercises on the role of cil.net, www.peacecouncil.net. Executive Director the facilitator, designing agendas, —Andy Mager, Syracuse Peace Council Nancy Muste Baker, 1916 - 2004 Nancy Muste Baker (born Ann sang, “Oh, it’s sister Jenny’s turn to Dorothy Muste in 1916) was the first throw the bomb….” child of A.J. Muste and Anna Huizinga Nancy graduated at the head of her Muste. She was born in Newton, class from Katonah High School, where Massachusetts, where A.J. had his first Brookwood was located. Through the parish. Nancy’s earliest memories were generosity of wealthy pacifists, she was of Brookwood Labor College which her able to go to Swarthmore College but, father led after he had organized the dreadfully homesick, she finished her American Workers Party. At Brookwood, degree at Barnard, where she made life- the family lived in the midst of a com- long friendships. After college, Nancy munity of young people committed to married John Baker (her high school workers’ rights and to strengthening sweetheart), the son of an intelligent but their abilities as labor organizers. Nancy impoverished family. Nancy and John would talk about the people she met (known to all as Jack) struggled to make there and her family’s role in the com- ends meet during the last years of the munity. She particularly remembered depression. Jack worked first as a man- their participation in Saturday evening ager at the A&P, and then by dint of entertainments – one of the songs they ability and diligence as a draftsman in sang as a family was The Bomb Song the shipbuilding industry. Nancy served OF RICHARD BAKER COURTESY PHOTO where Nancy and her quite-staid parents continued on page 2 Nancy Muste Baker 2 • Muste Notes Vol. 11/No. 4 David Dellinger, 1915-2004 “The best tribute to a dead leader is to mament, the Assembly of Unrepresented carry on his work—or better still to carry on Peoples, and the Fifth Avenue Peace one’s work more creatively. When the dead Parade Committee. leader is A.J. Muste, one will try to work He was one of the “Union 8”, a group more persistently, more shrewdly and with of seminarians who in 1942 chose to appreciation of all those who work by differ- refuse their automatic conscientious ent methods or at a different pace.” objector status by refusing to register for These words opened the introduction the draft at all. He served several prison of the A.J. Muste memorial issue of terms during World War II for these Liberation magazine in September 1967. actions. Never one to pass up an oppor- They were written by David Dellinger, tunity to agitate, Dave was involved in who died on May 25 at the age of 88. protests against racial segregation in the Thirty-six years later, they could just as prison system. He is best known for his WHITE PHOTO: DAVID accurately be applied to Dave’s life and membership in the Chicago 8; a group of Dave Dellinger speaks at the Alternative work. protest organizers who were indicted for Bicentennial rally July 4, 1976. Dave was something of a protégé of conspiracy during the 1968 Democratic A.J.’s and worked closely with him from National Convention. ography From Yale to Jail. In 1993, the the World War II period until A.J.’s Throughout his life, Dave was an ecu- Institute also supported a book tour death. Dave was, along with A.J. and menical activist. While maintaining his which promoted the book’s publication. Barbara Deming, one of the best known personal commitment to pacifism and Dave spent the last thirty years of and most influential pacifists of the late nonviolence, he worked closely with a his life in rural Vermont, teaching, 20th Century. In addition to serving with wide range of groups and organizers. writing and continuing to organize and A.J. as an editor of Liberation, Dave During the late 1980s, the Muste participate in a broad number of worked directly with him on the Institute worked with Dave’s associates protests. He is survived by his wife, Quebec-to-Guantanamo Walk for disar- to create a special fund to support him Elizabeth Peterson, five children, two while he completed work on his autobi- sisters and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One of his sons, Raymond, predeceased him. Zinn Film Hits —Murray Rosenblith Theaters Nancy Muste Baker continued from page 1 “Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral on a Moving Train,” a docu- as a social worker, paid only for every mentary by Deb Ellis and Denis other week she worked. Mueller about the famous historian and After Nancy and Jack’s children John activist, is being released theatrically and Richard were born, Nancy worked this summer. The film, which was sup- in the offices of the Fellowship for ported with a grant from the Muste Reconciliation, where A. J. had landed Institute and previewed in New York after returning to religious pacifism VANUNU FREE AT LAST last October at a special Institute-spon- from labor organizing and radical poli- Mordechai Vanunu was released on April sored screening, will be aired in June in tics. Throughout her life, Nancy revered 21, 2004, after serving nearly 18 years in Portland, Oregon, and in Provincetown her father and his radical positions. Israeli prisons for blowing the whistle on and Boston, Massachusetts. The film Nancy and Jack had an international life, Israel’s nuclear program. The US will open for its commercial run at New living and working in England, China Campaign to Free Mordechai Vanunu York City’s Cinema Village starting on and Canada, with interludes back in received grants from the Muste Institute July 23. Some screenings will feature their home in New York. Jack died in in September 1993 and February 1998 for special appearances by Howard Zinn. 1981 and Nancy spent the next years educational and advocacy work on behalf For details, see http://firstrunfea- alternating between New York and her of this political prisoner. This photo, taken tures.com/howardzinn.html son Richard’s home in Massachusetts. In in jail, shows Vanunu with Mary and 1996, Nancy followed her son Richard to Nicholas Eoloff, longtime activists and The A.J. Muste Memorial Institute St. Louis and died there in March of Muste Institute supporters who legally makes small grants to groups 2004, after a long battle with congestive adopted Vanunu as their son. Activists are engaged in nonviolent education and heart failure and dementia. now working to get Israel to stop restrict- action for social justice. Our next She retained to the last her humor, ing Vanunu’s rights to travel and speak deadlines are July 23 and October 22, her interest in gardening and nature, freely. For more information: www.nonvi- 2004.