 Boston Mobe marches on the Pentagon, 1981 |
Boston has a good rep in progressive circles for being on the right side — most of the time — on every social/political issue since slavery. Beginning in 1978, the conscious of that political correctness has been Boston Mobilization, an activist group that started out, in Cambridge, protesting nuclear arms and energy. Since then, the group has gone on to confront several wars, repressive right-wing regimes foreign and domestic, racial injustice, economic violence, and any number of not-always-ready-for-prime-time causes. If something deserves to be yelled at, the Mobe is ever in good voice.
As important, the organization currently focuses on training and organizing both urban and suburban youth to foster justice in their own communities.
Boston Mobe will mark its 30th anniversary this year, starting with a May 9 kick-off event at the Democracy Center in Cambridge. The celebration will feature some New Orleans–style jazz from Paul Nossiter’s Original Dissonance Jazz Trio and a speaking appearance by progressive historian Howard Zinn.
More events will follow this summer; you can read about them at the bostonmobilization.org/30th Web site, where activist vets are invited to share their most memorable Mobe moments.
Boston Mobilization’s 30th-anniversary party will be held Friday, May 9, at the Democracy Center, 45 Mt. Auburn Street, in Cambridge, from 7 to 9 pm. It’s free; call 617.492.5599 for more info.
Related:
Boo-ya!, Worth remembering, Goodbye, cruel America, More
- Boo-ya!
Maybe it’s because dressing up as the economy would be kind of lame, but I’m haven’t heard Jack O’Shit in the way of truly scary costume ideas this year.
- Worth remembering
In 1975, Dr. Kenneth Edelin was a household name in Boston.
- Goodbye, cruel America
Toward the end of 2006, we woke up to the glad news that Chile’s former strongman Augusto Pinochet had saved everyone the trouble of hanging his sickly carcass for war crimes and atrocities by dying of a heart attack.
- Hit the dirt! It’s a flan!
All my wife, Susannah, wanted was a flan recipe, which Google delivered online and offered to “translate” from the Spanish .
- Random forecast
One thing that’s sure to happen in the coming year is that people will make erroneous predictions about what will happen in the coming year.
- Phoenix.com wins at AAN conference
ThePhoenix.com Web site won first place at the annual Association of Alternative Newsweeklies conference.
- Victim, not vixen
Florence Evelyn Nesbit was the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
- Home grown terror
Cathy Wilkerson, 62-year-old math teacher and mother of one, was famous long ago, as a member of the radical political collective Weatherman.
- Ding Ho home
Opening a comedy club in a Cambridge Chinese restaurant was a laughable idea unto itself.
- The rest is noise
If, heading home from Chet’s Last Call one night in 1984, you happened to tune into The Record Hospital , you might have caught a Swell Maps track, followed by some F.U.’s or the Contortions.
- The only game in town
Memo received and understood, chiefs.
- Less
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Topics:
This Just In
, Democracy Center