Chicago, IL – Chicago lost a well-known fighter for immigrant rights on December 11. José Sigfredo Landaverde was a priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Anglican Catholic Church in Little Village. Padre Landaverde was also a friend of Freedom Road Socialist Organization. He died after a long battle with illness.

Born in Chalatenango, El Salvador in 1971, he was orphaned when the Salvadoran military killed his family. At 17 years of age, and at great risk to himself, José became a scout for the FMLN (Frente Farabundo Martí para la Liberación Nacional, or Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front). His job was to camp out next to a stream by a road and provide early warning to guerrilla fighters when the U.S.-backed death squads were approaching.

We first met José as a refugee from El Salvador in the early 1990s. At the time, we were working against the U.S. counterinsurgency war with the Committee In Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES). Over the years, José became a constant feature of all struggles that affected the Latino community, but especially the struggle for immigrant rights.

FRSO fought alongside José in worker and immigrant rights fights; in the struggle against the U.S. war in Colombia; and we joined together to march against the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in 2016. Padre Landaverde organized a march that covered the 360 miles from Chicago to oppose the hate that the Republican Party was bringing against Mexicans and other immigrants.

Tom Burke, a lead organizer in the March on the RNC in Cleveland, shared these memories of José:

“Always a man of deep faith in the people, Father José was able to connect with those suffering the most, and bring them some relief from their difficulties, or make them feel powerful to overcome the oppression they faced from bosses or police. He was constantly organizing groups to provide food, clothes and blankets for those devastated by earthquakes and mudslides and trucking it thousands of miles to where it needed to be through Mexico or Central America.

“José brought his personal struggle with alcohol addiction to aid others with classes and prayer and healing power. Padre Jose’s spirit will burn inside all those who seek justice and to make revolution in the U.S., Mexico and Central America. His selfless dedication to the people who immigrated to Chicago for jobs and a better life will stand as an example for others.

“We remember with fondness his wicked sense of humor and giggling that always turned to loud laughter! His spirit will continue with us as we fight to make revolution and climb to a socialist future.”

Padre Jose Landaverde: Presente!

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #Remembrances #PeoplesStruggles #ChicanoLatino #obituary

Minneapolis, MN – Marie Braun, 87, a longtime activist and beloved and respected leader in the peace and justice movement in the Twin Cities, died on June 27 after a very brief illness.

The response of Dave Logsdon, President of Veterans for Peace Chapter 27, reflects the reaction of so many, “Such a shock. She is so strong it's hard to believe this news. What a giant in our peace and justice movement.”

Marie Braun was a member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) nearly from its inception 40 years ago. After her retirement in 1997 from the psychology practice that she ran with her husband John, she turned her full attention, incomparable work ethic, legendary organizational skills, boundless energy and warmth and humor to anti-war work.

She traveled to Iraq with Ramsey Clark, Jess Sundin and others on an International Action Center delegation in 1998 at the height of the brutal U.S. sanctions against that country. Sundin gave this remembrance to Fight Back!:

“I was just 25 years old when I traveled with Marie to Iraq for a solidarity delegation to challenge the U.S. and UN sanctions that caused so much death and hardship. It was a life-changing journey for me, one made possible in many ways by Marie.

“Marie helped organize the fundraisers that paid my way, and she and her husband John made a substantial contribution themselves. The 1998 delegation was the first of its kind to Iraq, and I'm not sure I would've had the confidence to make that trip with 100 strangers from across the country, if I wasn't traveling with a veteran of the Minneapolis peace movement.

“Marie took myself and another younger traveler under her wing, and her mentorship didn't stop at the airport. Visits to a pediatric hospital and Al Amiriyah bomb shelter, dinner with the Iraqi family of friends from Minnesota or dancing with students at an art school. We would stay up late at night talking about our days, and Marie was the rock that I leaned on to process the horrors of war carried out against the loving and generous Iraqi people. She got me through.

“Back home, Marie set the standard for what international solidarity looks like. At the same time, she never forgot her family, she never stopped finding joy and cause to laugh, and she always encouraged young people like me to make a home for ourselves in the movement,” Sundin said.

Marie began the weekly vigil at the Lake Street bridge which has not missed a single Wednesday in its 23 years of anti-war presence, from the U.S./NATO bombing of Yugoslavia until today with the U.S./NATO provoked conflict in Ukraine. For many years she and John were the ones to bring the signs, often newly made that week, reflecting whatever country the U.S. was bombing, sanctioning or occupying.

In the runup to Desert Storm, she and John organized a campaign for WAMM members to distribute thousands of lawn signs which said “Call your congressperson. Say no to war on Iraq.” These signs were not only pervasive across the lawns in our city but were also requested by other communities across the country.

For many years Marie organized a service at their church, Saint Joan of Arc, on the feast of the Holy Innocents. She transformed this remembrance of the slaughter of the children in Palestine by Herod, to a memorial for the children of Iraq killed by U.S. bombing and sanctions.

Marie organized days-long occupations at U.S. Senators’ Wellstone, Dayton and Coleman’s offices. She brought to town national leaders like Cindy Sheehan, Kathy Kelly and Denis Halliday, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, and made sure they spoke to standing-room-only crowds. She developed a statewide network of anti-war activists to host speaking tours and to pressure elected officials. She left no stone unturned in her work against U.S. imperialism in Iraq, a tenacity she applied to whatever she undertook.

Alan Dale, Minnesota Peace Action Coalition founder tells the story, “Marie was the most consistent activist, working with a wide range of people from many backgrounds, always keeping true to her own principles. Marie often took on the role of peacekeeper coordinator or lead marshal for protests. At one of the Iraq war anniversary protests starting at Loring Park, hundreds of people had gathered to march. Then the police arrived. The lead cop seemed beside himself that all these people planned to march without their permission. The lead cop demanded someone's drivers' license so he knew where to send a summons to, Marie said, ‘You can have my drivers license, but we are still going to march.’ By then, there were 1000 to 2000 people gathered. The cops just gave up and left.”

In 2010, anti-war activists in Minneapolis and around the Midwest were targeted by the FBI for their peace and international solidarity activism. Both these writers were included in those subpoenaed to a grand jury and targeted by the FBI. Marie helped us organize our resistance through the Committee to Stop FBI Repression. Joe Iosbaker, an activist from Chicago who was also subpoenaed, remembered her solidarity, “I remember her best from her efforts with congresspersons and senators on behalf of the Antiwar 23. Getting those elected officials to speak out in our defense seemed unimaginable to me, but not to Marie and the veteran peace activists in the Twin Cities! And they were right.”

For the past several years Marie chaired the WAMM End War Committee. Mary Slobig said, “I can't imagine the End War Committee without her sending out the agenda, holding us to task, and taking notes. She's our rock!”

Kristin Dooley, the director of WAMM told Fight Back!, “Marie has been my friend, my mentor, and my partner in activism for decades. She was an incredibly capable activist. She could handle finances, personnel, membership renewals, fundraising, press and writing. She willingly interacted with religious, political, civil and police authorities. Marie let me know she had my back and I became a better activist because she believed in me.”

Marie inspired us by her commitment and wasn’t afraid to ask for involvement or money. Most of us have said, “You can’t say no to Marie.” She was a pillar of the peace movement and a key motivator for actions and effective change. She also was a skilled mentor and teacher and leaves behind strong organizations and individuals to carry on the struggle. She brought out the best in us, and we and the peace movement will miss her beyond words.

¡Marie Braun Presente!

Memorials can be sent to Women Against Military Madness at 4200 Cedar Avenue South, Suite 1, Minneapolis, MN 55407.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Remembrances #obituary #WomenAgainstMilitaryMadnessWAMM

Tucson, AZ – It is with heavy heart that the news of the passing of longtime anti-imperialist organizer Chuck Kaufman reached communities on December 28. Born in a small Indiana town, Chuck’s life saw travels to numerous countries, most notably in the Latin American countries most firmly in the crosshairs of U.S. imperialism.

In 1987, as Reagan’s illegal Contra War against Nicaragua ravaged the country in an attempt to kill the successful Sandinista Revolution, Chuck answered the call for solidarity. He gave up his advertising business and joined thousands of other U.S. solidarity activists to help in the coffee brigades in Nicaragua aimed at helping the country produce commodities that could help fund the new government projects for the poor and working class. Later that year Chuck joined the U.S.-based Nicaragua Network on its national staff and served as co-coordinator for decades.

It is in that role that I first met Chuck in Nicaragua in 2007. I attended a conference hosted by Nicaragua Network and I was impressed by Chuck’s knowledge and seriousness of commitment to the Sandinista Revolution. One could easily see the internal flame lit inside him when he spoke of the Nicaraguan people and their struggle for national liberation.

Two years later, I joined a Nicaragua Network delegation with Chuck and others. It is there I got to know him a little better as we spent time hearing from coffee collectives and campesinas who received free cows and seeds from the Sandinista government’s Zero Usury program. During that delegation in January 2009, Israel had once again been bombing Palestine and there was an Israeli professor with us, and Chuck led the charge in defending the Palestinian struggle and silencing the Zionist claims that supported their genocidal apartheid.

Another unforgettable moment on that trip gave me chills: Chuck had recently returned from a delegation to Venezuela and he gleamed telling us that he was on the updated Caracas public transit system when a couple of anti-Chavistas were overheard by the crowd and were immediately drown out by deafening chants of: “Ooh aah, Chavez no se va!” As someone who had been interested in Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, that’s all I needed to hear to make sure I visited to feel that revolutionary power.

That awakening in 1987 cemented a lifelong commitment not only to Nicaragua but later other revolutionary movements in Latin America. As mentioned above, Chuck’s international solidarity, largely through his role as national co-coordinator of the Alliance for Global Justice, as well as with the ANSWER Coalition, extended to Venezuela, as well as Colombia and later, after the U.S.-supported coup, Honduras. It is there in Honduras where Chuck, like tens of thousands of Hondurans, was gassed by the U.S.-backed military dictatorship that ran the country with criminal cartels. Chuck’s work in the Honduras Solidarity Network allowed activists and organizers in the U.S. hear the voices of on-the-ground Hondurans battling the regime there. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Honduran masses and their organizations, Xiomara Zelaya, was elected the past November – a truly meaningful moment for Chuck.

One would think all this national and international organizing meant Chuck did not have time to participate in local organizing. On the contrary, Chuck was a valued member of the organizing circles involved in anti-war and immigrant rights. As previously mentioned, even though Chuck had a warm spirit and could joke frequently, he had a serious commitment to transforming this world from injustice to justice and from oppression to liberation. Most notably, in October 2013, Chuck and twelve others used dragon-arms to lock themselves around the wheels of the bus carrying detained immigrants awaiting the sham trial called “Operation Streamline.” The activists stopped proceedings that day and the buses blocked erupted in cheers at the bravery of the act. After a few court appearances, all charges were dropped.

Chuck also showed us younger organizers how to chair and conduct meeting – he exhibited the best traits of criticism but also worked tirelessly toward a principled unity. I will miss talking with Chuck on the picket lines outside the Federal Courthouse. And as someone who studied Nicaraguan history and fell in love with the Sandinista Revolution, it was truly a treasure to share space with someone like Chuck Kaufman who will always be wearing their bandera, La RojiNegra. Chuck also made sure we remembered our fallen comrades and led the call for: Presente! Unfortunately, from now we have to include his name: Chuck Kaufman, Presente!

#TucsonAZ #AntiwarMovement #Remembrances #PeoplesStruggles #antiimperialism #obituary #ChuckKaufman

New Orleans, LA – Communist, working-class organizer Nath Clarke passed away at age 22 on Monday, May 31, 2021. Our communities and progressive movements suffered a tremendous loss with their death. We grieve them with incredible regret, and celebrate their life with gratitude, love and admiration.

Nath was born in Philadelphia, grew up France, and then moved to New Orleans to study biology, anthropology and ecology.

After arriving in the city, they soon poured their heart into community work. As they learned about charter schools’ offensive to privatize education post-Katrina, they jumped into supporting the Black-led movement for public education. They founded Students for Education Justice in New Orleans to mobilize others in college to help push for community schooling. They denounced the Orleans Parish School Board at its own meetings to cheers from parents, students and teachers in attendance.

Ashana Bigard, a leader in this fight and close friend-mentor of Nath’s, said, “Nath was kind, loving, strong, beautiful, brilliant, exciting, amazing, inspiring and fun, seeing the world through their eyes gave me hope for our future.”

Nath uplifted workers’ struggles. In late 2019, they fought in France’s yellow vest movement against capitalist austerity. Back in the U.S., they joined the New Orleans Hospitality Workers’ Alliance, a labor rights organization fighting for higher wages, real benefits and better working conditions. They helped plan International Working Women’s Day marches and stood in the firmest solidarity with survivors of sexual abuse.

Whether they worked as an office administrator, restaurant server, cook, tutor, lab tech or barista, Nath constantly agitated their coworkers to fight for what they deserved. They had a “finish the job” attitude, from cleaning up the house to getting out a thick stack of flyers.

An anti-imperialist and a lover of the planet, Nath furiously condemned the U.S. military as both the world’s deadliest war machine and largest polluter. They fought for Gordon Plaza, a Black neighborhood that the city placed on toxic soil. Shera Phillips, who also organized for Gordon Plaza, saw Nath as “courageous and bold” and “someone with values, someone with passion, someone with heart.” They worked closely with Pointe-au-Chien Indians, who struggle to protect their homes from corporate-made coastal erosion. They always said that, after the revolution, we’ll be able to enjoy Mother Nature without worrying for her.

During the pandemic, they joined the ranks of the housing justice struggle. They signed up with Southern Solidarity, a revolutionary mutual aid group dedicated to meeting the needs of unhoused people.

Toni Jones, another Southern Solidarity member, remembered how “Nath had boundless love for the people.” Towards the end of their life, they pulled off a winning rent strike with their co-tenants.

This overview can’t do justice to all their contributions.

Nath could break down how and why we needed to build the revolution in a moment with a stranger at a bus stop, or hours into the night while cooking and laughing with friends. It was tough not to feel moved by their deep compassion and impressed with their fierce devotion to fighting for ordinary folks.

They blew everyone away with their energy. They crisscrossed the city by foot daily, even with a heavy backpack in the Louisiana heat. They’d say it was nothing compared to the Chinese Communists’ Long March during their civil war.

They always grew new plants. They insisted on breathing life into every struggling sapling, even when others thought this was pointless. This attitude carried on in their work of cultivating community relationships after most stopped trying.

In the words of Meg Maloney, an organizer in the Hospitality Workers’ Alliance: “They always recognized, and pushed me to recognize, the need to build deeper relationships and connections as working people.”

Nath always told their friends and loved ones “you’re a gem of a human being” or “you’re a bright light everywhere you go.” The truth was that this was the best way to describe their own self. They were a one-of-a-kind comrade and friend, and their fighting spirit won’t stop advancing the movement.

Rest in power Nath Clarke!

#NewOrleansLA #Remembrances #obituary #NathClarke #StudentsForEducationJusticeInNewOrleans

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR).

The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, with heavy hearts, celebrates the fighting life and spirit of Mike Siviwe Elliott, who succumbed to kidney failure last Tuesday, May 25, 2021. His spirit lives on in all of us who continue his struggle for the liberation of Black people and the end of the capitalist system that enslaved and branded them through the lie of white supremacy. Mike’s adopted middle name, “Siviwe,” is a Xhosa word conveying hope, unity, and spirit in the fight for the future.

Mike was Labor Secretary of the CAARPR for a decade or more. He came to the Alliance via the movement to Free South Africa in Chicago and the campaign against apartheid South Africa. There he met Alliance activists and supporters Mildred and Willie Williamson, Lisa Brock, Otis Cunningham and Harold Rogers. Mike was also a member and leader of the Chicago Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, chaired by Rogers. In 1993 Mike was part of the union group that brought Nelson Mandela to Chicago, where he spoke to a huge overflow crowd in the Plumbers Union Hall on the West Side. He was featured in the recently aired PBS special, “Mandela in Chicago.”

In Chicago, as the Chairperson of the Alliance Labor Committee, Mike was instrumental in working to bring major unions into the campaign for community control of the police, most importantly the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees Union Locals 73 and HCII.

Mike was born on October 4, 1952 to Zelma Davis and Samuel Elliot in Detroit, Michigan. He grew up and matured as a worker in the Dearborn Assembly Plant (DAP) of the Ford River Rouge Complex, the centerpiece of the Ford Motor Co. auto empire. Mike transferred in the early 2000s from DAP to Ford’s Torrence Ave. Assembly Plant in Hegewisch at 130th St., where he worked until he retired. His ability to relocate and retire at a relatively young age after 30 years on the auto production lines at Ford was made possible by the hard-won contract between the United Auto Workers and Ford, for which Mike fought.

Mike was a rank-and-file leader of his union brothers and sisters at Ford, heading up the UAW Local 551 Unions Solidarity Committee and focusing on the work of its local’s Committee on Ergonomics, Health & Safety. Mike saw the struggles on the shop floor as part of the broader struggles in the community. When Stephon Watts, the son of his union sister, Danalene Watts, was murdered in her home by Calumet City Police, Mike and the Alliance immediately organized a community fightback, demanding the removal and prosecution of the cop who had killed him. Although they did not succeed in that demand, legislation named after Stephon Watts – the Community Emergency Services and Support Act (CESSA), known as “Stephon’s Law” – is expected to pass the Illinois Legislature this session. CESSA, HB2784 and SB2117, requires that 911 operators dispatch trained mental health social workers in response to mental or behavioral health emergencies, instead of armed police.

In his time in Detroit, Mike met and was heavily influence by James Boggs, Luke Tripp, John Watson and General Baker, activists in the Chrysler Detroit auto plants and founders of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM) and the Eldon Avenue Revolutionary Union Movement (ELRUM). Mike often spoke warmly of Boggs and his widow, Grace Lee Boggs, as his mentors as he was learning the class struggle in the auto plants.

We in the Chicago Alliance convey our deepest condolences to Mike’s family, his wife, Ralnah Denise Elliott, his son and daughters, Malik Cabral Elliott, Maya Ayanna Elliott, and Makeba Robin Elliott, and his surviving sisters, Marjorie Elliott and Donna Jean Parrish. His brother Samuel Gregory Elliott preceded him in death.

A non-sectarian service for Mike will take place at the Leak and Sons Funeral Home. 18400 Pulaski Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478. Visitation will be Saturday, June 5 from 4 to 7 p.m., and there will be a wake Sunday June 6 from 1 to 2 p.m.. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. Condolences and flowers may be sent to the funeral home for delivery Friday or Saturday. There will also be a livestreaming link announced at a later date.

The Chicago Alliance will host a People’s Memorial for Mike Siviwe Elliott, at a date, time and location to be announced.

#ChicagoIL #InJusticeSystem #OppressedNationalities #Remembrances #PeoplesStruggles #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #obituary #CAARPR #MikeSiviweElliott

Minneapolis, MN – Margaret Sarfehjooy, a tireless, fearless and greatly respected anti-war activist, died suddenly and unexpectedly on April 28. She was a longtime member of WAMM (Women Against Military Madness) and on the organizations board for many years.

As Meredith Aby-Keirstead, of the Anti-War Committee says, “Margaret was an outspoken advocate for the Middle East. She was a consistent anti-imperialist and understood the true danger of the U.S. in Syria and Iran. She was also a tireless solidarity activist for freedom for Palestine. I always looked to Margaret for political analysis about the region and she was always supportive to other activists looking to develop their own research and analytical skills.”

Margaret was an articulate speaker. At the recent March rally commemorating the 14th anniversary of the beginning of the war on Afghanistan, she spoke about U.S. threats and attacks on Iran. She was an excellent writer. Her article in the latest edition of the WAMM newsletter, “Are State Legislatures Demanding a Loyalty Oath to Israel?” exposes and analyzes the top-down attempts to criminalize the growing Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement.

Margaret was unwavering in recognizing official efforts to sell and justify war and U.S. intervention to the American people. Furthermore, she was skilled like few others at getting to the bottom of this propaganda and the organizations and the spokespeople who sell it.

As chair of the WAMM Middle East Committee, she arranged for many speakers and Skype interviews with activists from around the world; among them, Mother Agnes from Syria; Mona El-Farra, physician from Gaza; Diana Johnstone, a Paris based journalist, and former Senator James Abourezk.

Margaret was active on a national level. She was a member of UNAC (United National Antiwar Coalition) and, along with activists representing movements across the country, met on three different occasions in New York City with President Ahmadinejad of Iran.

“What I will miss most about Margaret is her calm energy and tenacity for the truth. She was dedicated to ensuring that peace and justice were at the forefront of any action. I will miss her greatly,” stated Suzanne Al-Kayali, WAMM director.

“Margaret was both a gentle, non-assuming person and a powerful advocate for peace and justice. Her death is a tremendous loss to WAMM and the entire peace community here in the Twin Cities,” says peace activist Marie Braun.

Margaret was a nurse for over 30 years and an active member of her trade union.

Margaret Sarfehjooy is survived by her husband Hossein Sarfehjooy and sons Kave (Carol) and Khavan as well as family on both sides.

Memorial Service 2:00 p.m., Saturday, May 6 Visitation is at 1:00 p.m. Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home West 50th St. & Hwy 100, Edina Chapel (phone: 952-920-3996)

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #Afghanistan #WomensMovement #Remembrances #MiddleEast #Asia #PeoplesStruggles #obituary

Minneapolis, MN – On Feb. 2 an outstanding lawyer for the people, Ted Dooley, passed away. Fight Back! extends our condolences to his family, many friends and all those who knew him through the struggles for peace, justice and equality.

Ted was a passionate opponent of injustice and used his knowledge and ample legal skills to serve the people’s struggle. In court he was willing to transcend a narrow law-based approach for a political one. When members of the Twin Cities-based Anti-War Committee were arrested at a protest during the war on Iraq, he pursued a ‘necessity defense,’ arguing in court that it was necessary to break the law in order to prevent a greater harm. He won.

In a civil case against police violence at the 2008 Republican National Convention, Ted attempted to subpoena the notorious undercover police officer “Karen Sullivan,” who spying and lies paved the way for the 2010 FBI raids on anti-war and international solidarity activists. Ted also came to the home of one of the international solidarity activists to provide legal assistance while the FBI raids were taking place.

As a young man, Ted served time for his refusal to be drafted into the military. He was a member of the National Lawyers Guild and in 2010 he received the Paul Marino People's Lawyer Award from the Guild’s Minnesota chapter.

Ted Dooley’s contributions are many, and we will miss his warmth, humor and willingness to fight.

Ted Dooley ¡Presente!

#MinneapolisMN #InJusticeSystem #Remembrances #obituary

Minneapolis, MN – Sharon Rice Vaughan, a longtime and respected member of Women Against Military Madness (WAMM) and the Twin Cities peace and justice movements, died in a car crash in Havana, Cuba on March 24. Her sudden and untimely death leaves a big hole in our community.

Sharon was an early member of WAMM. She joined over 30 years ago and has been an active and important member. Board member Marie Braun said, “She was an enthusiastic supporter of WAMM and the issues we work on.” Braun, organizer of the weekly vigil on the Lake Street Bridge, said that when Sharon retired she made a commitment to come to the vigil every Wednesday. She rarely missed, and never because of weather.

Sharon was key in the founding of the movement to end domestic violence against women. Mary Beaudoin, former director of WAMM and current editor of the newsletter said, “Sharon's advocacy for nonviolence extended to resisting war. She recognized that women and their children were often victims of war and among the most deeply affected by the violence of war. As a committed anti-war activist, she participated in marches, rallies and other events against war. In the last few decades, she frequently participated in the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge vigil, opposing U.S. wars and U.S. threats of war. She was an active member of Women Against Military Madness and held the position of co-chair of WAMM.”

Sharon understood the importance of standing up against political repression. Without hesitation she drove with me to Canada for the trial of a local Central America and Cuba solidarity activist accused of helping a couple seeking political asylum to cross the U.S.-Canadian border. Her presence along with others who filled the court room, impressed the judge and resulted in no further jail time for the brother.

In 2010, after many years on the WAMM board, she intended to take a very deserved break. However, I, along with 22 other anti-war and solidarity activists, had just become targets of the FBI and a federal grand jury in Chicago. Without hesitation she decided she needed to stay on the board and support me. Since then she became a very good friend of the Committee to Stop FBI Repression.

Several years ago Sharon answered a call to go to Alaska and stand in solidarity with a young woman going on trial. She did not know her but responded to the woman’s need for support. She traveled to Alaska several times to be with her through the trial. After the woman was convicted and sent to prison, Sharon continued to visit her. She was transferred to the Carswell Federal Medical Center prison in Fort Worth, Texas. During one of those visits, Sharon spotted imprisoned people’s lawyer, Lynne Stewart in the visiting room with her husband. Sharon was eager to introduce herself as one of many Minnesotans following Lynne’s case. Lynne still remembers that encounter.

We really miss Sharon. She was warm, generous, compassionate, a great story teller and solid activist who really walked the talk.

A memorial celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 2, at Unity Church-Unitarian, 733 Portland Avenue, St. Paul, MN.

#MinneapolisMN #AntiwarMovement #WomensMovement #Remembrances #WAMM #Cuba #obituary #SharonRiceVaughan

Berkeley, CA – I just heard about the passing of Yuri Kochiyama from my father, another Nisei (second generation Japanese American) political activist, who lives in Berkeley about a mile from where Yuri was living. I didn’t know Yuri well, having only met her once when we were both attending the same program in the Asian American community. Nevertheless, she was the single most prominent individual Asian American activist of the 20th century and her life and politics pioneered the Asian American movement born in the late 1960s.

Yuri and her husband Bill moved to Harlem in New York City in 1960 and became involved in the growing civil rights movement. She came to know African American revolutionary Malcolm X and her image of kneeling beside the mortally wounded Malcolm in 1964 was highlighted in LIFE magazine photos. Yuri’s identification with Malcolm and the broader Black Liberation Movement blazed the path for a generation of younger Asian American activists. The first revolutionary Asian American organization that I joined, the I Wor Kuen, was directly inspired by the Black Panther Party and began with a very similar political program in 1969.

Yuri also spoke out against the U.S. war in Vietnam. She pointed out the connection between the racism in U.S. imperialist wars in the Third World and the national oppression that African Americans, Puerto Ricans and others were facing here in the U.S. This perspective had broad appeal among oppressed nationalities here, leading to protests such as the 1970 Chicano Moratorium against the war in Los Angeles in 1970, as well as the African Liberation Support Committee and solidarity work among African Americans to support the national liberation movements in Africa in the 1970s.

Yuri was also involved in the 1980s movement among Japanese Americans for redress (an official government apology) and reparations (monetary compensation) for the 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent put into concentration and prison camps during World War II. Yuri’s own father, Seiichi Nakahara, was arrested the day of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor and was denied medicines. He died within days, and the rest of Yuri’s family was sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center, where they had to live in horse stall, and were eventually sent to a concentration camp in Jerome, Arkansas.

This movement not only won redress and reparations from the federal government in the late 1980s, but also paved the way for Japanese American solidarity with and support for Arab Americans and American Muslims targeted by the U.S. government after Sept. 11, 2001. Yuri was again a pioneer in this solidarity effort, organizing Japanese Americans to join Iranian Americans following the 1979 revolution in Iran to combat the growing anti-Iranian sentiment in the U.S.

Masao Suzuki is a long time activist in the San José, California Japanese American community and chair of the Joint Nationalities Commission of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO).

#BerkeleyCA #Remembrances #AsianNationalities #AfricanAmerican #YuriKochiyama #IWorKuen #MalcolmX #obituary