The Activist in All of Us

The Activist in All of Us

The Purple Bowtie novel is in part a tribute to 1980’s activists, like Dan Bradley, who went into the streets and warned the LGBT community and the world about the threat of AIDS. He helped raise money to fight the disease and protested the political leaders who ignored it. I was one of those people who had the chance to watch Bradley in action in South Florida and joined him at several events that he organized as the AIDS epidemic began.

Dan Bradley served as a legal aide to President Jimmy Carter in the White House and, in 1979, was appointed to be President of the Legal Services Corporation, an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to provide financial support for noncriminal legal aid to low-income Americans. According to the NY Times, Dan is widely credited with thwarting the attempts of the Reagan Administration to end LSC.  He came out publicly in 1982 and served on the Lambda Legal Defense Fund and the Gay Rights National Lobby. 

Nothing phased Dan. He never showed his anger or ego and, in his mild-mannered, easy-going style, simply took charge on his own to warn the community and the media.  Always modest and tenacious, he organized events and raised monies to fight the disease. As the number of AIDS cases grew, he persisted in his protests in Washington, D.C. to get government support until his death in 1988.  To me, these are the qualities of a true leader and activist.

As you read The Purple Bowtie, I hope you will think about the “Dan Bradley activist” within yourself and within others. In 2017, we still face prejudices and an upsurge of hate. The forms of activism are endless: (1) Led by women of color, 40,000 activists peacefully protested white supremacy in Boston (August 19, 2017). (2) Comedian-actress Tina Fey ate sheet cake on “Weekend Update” (Saturday Night Live/NBC August 18, 2017) as she tore into the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. (3)  Songwriter Sarah Guthrie told an audience at The Guthrie Center (August 18, 2017) in Great Barrington, MA that “I’m takin’ to activism.” Her grandfather is “This Land is Your Land” songwriter Woodie Guthrie. Her father is Alice’s Restaurant star and songwriter Arlo Guthrie. Sarah tells us she now gathers friends together with their guitars on Monday eves to sing songs about hope and activism, carrying on the family tradition.

Wherever you are,  stand in awe of yourself, speak your truth and start' takin' to activism' in your own special way. There's a Dan Bradley hero in all of us.  

 Post me or tweet me your favorite activists and their leadership qualities. Tell us how you will not let hate win. 

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Here is an Amazon universal link to The Purple Bowtie: http://getbook.at/purplebowtie