My father was a kind of a closet Marxist. He was very interested in politics and he read voraciously. He was never an activist. In fact, he was worried when I became an activist. But he did imbue in me an awareness of what can happen in capitalist countries. I went to the High School of Music and Art in New York City and that was a very politically active space. I joined May Day rallies and I attended performances by Paul Robeson, the singer and civil rights activist, remaining active through my high school and college years.
Later, I became a teacher. In my very first year of teaching, my cousin Al Shanker, the labor organizer, led a massive strike of public school teachers. And so I went out on strike, a little dangerous to do in my very first year of teaching.
For much of the Vietnam war years I was living in Chicago. My husband and I had a new baby, but when we moved to Boston I remember joining protests at Brandeis and marching with my baby through the streets of Boston.
Now I am involved with Third Act at Carleton-Willard Village. I never imagined it would be a hotbed of political activity. But Third Act has taken hold here and now that we have a second Trump administration many residents are drawn to activism.
We hold a meeting once a month. I’m connected with a lot of outside groups, such as Mothers Out Front and the Unitarian Chuch’s Environmental Justice Committee. So I stay in touch with what’s happening and share it with the community here so we know what legislation is pending and what actions we can take. We close every meeting with a letter to either a candidate or current legislator.
Right now we’re facing a catastrophe. What’s going on is like a five alarm fire. So I and many others feel as if we have to do something. It’s important that we keep our sense of agency. It’s also important to have an in-person community, people to bond with in a sense of purpose. It’s brought me new friends that I feel a deep connection to.
We all have small day to day problems. But these larger issues, climate and democracy, and the movements to address them, will shape our lives and our children’s lives. They’re worthy of our attention
OUR THIRD ACT: A COLLABORATIVE PHOTO PROJECT
Third Act MA is partnering with documentary photographer Edward Boches to capture and record the voices, wisdom and experiences of Americans over 60 who are actively working to safeguard democracy.
With portraits and text, the project hopes to preserve a record of democracy in action and to inspire others to get involved. If you would like to be part of the project, please contact Third Act MA at massachusetts@thirdact.org or Edward Boches at bochesphotography@gmail.com.
All interviews and photography © Edward Boches.