LEVASSEUR It's the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Rosenberg Fund for Children, and it's also a fundraiser for that effort. Of course, the Rosenberg Fund for Children was formed by Robbie Meeropol, who is the son of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, and their purpose is to provide funds for the children of activists who that are imprisoned or have been killed or lost their jobs, harassed or are otherwise facing difficult times. It provides funds for these children of these people for camp, counseling, educational needs, visits to their people in prison. It's grown substantially over the last 20 years, but so has their clientele, because there are a lot of activists who are targeted in various ways, and so the families need this kind of support.
DO YOU THINK THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO SEE YOU SPEAK LAST YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS WILL BE ABLE TO COME DOWN?
We hope so. The hall seats about 350 people, and so if we fill those seats it will be a good financial contribution to the Rosenberg Fund. But yeah, since it's almost a year since the UMass controversy, there's some anticipation that people will take this opportunity to see me speak. Although, those that do will not hear the presentation I would have given at UMass had that taken place. That was a different context and a different venue. Although I am the keynote speaker at the Rosenberg Fund event, I will be speaking a considerably shorter period of time, and I will be addressing issues more directly connected to what the Rosenberg Fund does: my experience as a political prisoner; how the fund helped my kids out, and the issue of activism and raising a family. How all this comes to bear. The consequences of it, and the issues people have to deal with, and why activists do have children, despite the obstacles and hardships they sometimes face.
I KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD TO SUM UP IN BRIEF, BUT IS THERE ANY PART OF THE UMASS PRESENTATION THAT YOU WERE UNABLE TO GIVE THAT YOU'D LIKE TO ELUCIDATE UPON RIGHT NOW?
Well, I was scheduled to speak for 45 minutes, so in the context of an interview it would be hard to itemize and lay out everything I would have touched upon.
THE UMASS EVENT WAS COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF A TRIAL IN WHICH YOU WERE ONE OF THE DEFENDANTS. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT TRIAL THAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND?
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