Former Leaders of The Weather Underground to Speak at Burning Books, Artvoice, October 3, 2014

Posted by Leslie Pickering on

The Weather Underground: Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn speak at Burning Books

Tuesday, October 7

re-published from; http://blogs.artvoice.com/exitmusic/2014/10/03/former-leaders-of-the-weather-underground-to-speak-at-burning-books/

It might be surprising to some that a man who has written books with titles like To Become a Teacher: Making a Difference in Children’s Lives, A Kind and Just Parent, and Teaching For Social Justice: A Democracy and Education Reader has also claimed responsibility for politically motivated bombings of the United States Capitol building and the Pentagon in the 1960s. Or that a woman who was a professor of law at a Children and Family Justice Center has been on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List and once, decades ago, spoke the words “I’m going to read a declaration of war. Within the next 14 days we will attack a symbol of American justice.“ These individuals are Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, husband and wife, former leaders of the radical activist group the Weather Underground, and folkloric figures of 1960s counterculture. The group, also known as The Weathermen, appeared on the FBI’s radar after a series of bombings in Chicago beginning in 1969. Most of the bombings were in protest of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War or as statements against racism. In 1970 the group were also responsible for smuggling psychedelic guru Timothy Leary out of prison after he was sentenced to 20 years for possession of marijuana. Some have considered Dohrn and Ayers domestic terrorists and in 2008 conservatives condemned president Obama for his casual friendship with Ayers, but the pair has never been convicted of any crime. On Tuesday (Oct 7) Dohrn and Ayers will present an evening of dialogue and discussion at Burning Books where they will speak about achieving social justice and the effect of violent activism. —cory perla

7pm Burning Books, 420 Connecticut st. (881-0791 / burningbooksbuffalo.com) free, donations accepted