Chapel Hill Herald, Saturday September 24, 2005
Remembering Joe Straley
This week, Chapel Hill lost it's great icon of progressive activism of the past half-century. Since the 1950s, Joe Straley, who died last Wednesday at age 90, has been a continual force in Chapel Hill politics, one whose range of concerns was truly global.
From civil rights and anti-war activism in the 1950s and '60s, to a stint on the Town Council in the 1970s, to leadership of the Carolina Interfaith Taskforce on Central America in the 1980s and into the 21st century, Joe Straley did it all. He was an unflinching advocate for racial justice, civil liberties, solidarity with oppressed peoples the world over and for peace. In this age of self-congratulatory American empire, Joe was an anti-imperialist and an internationalist.
But beyond the issues and the activism, Joe was a special kind of person. Not a great orator, Straley was always on point and well-spoken. By no means a charismatic leader, he was warm, easy-going and down-to-earth, with a depth of compassion and a big heart that drew people to him and his projects.
I hope you have a very good reason if you are not going to the big peace demostration in our nation's capital tomorrow. Then again, if you're energetic you could do all of these things and still ride the bus to DC and back on Saturday...
On Friday night and Sunday morning, Zen Master/Peace Activist Kaz Tanahashi will be at the Chapel Hill Zen Center.
For the readers who are not at the Sierra Club's Hillsborough Candidate Forum right now (and that's all of you except for one) I am reporting live from the Battle Courtroom.
I was very disappointed (and a little shocked) to learn that only one candidate in each of the races - Mayor and Town Board - is attending the forum. But it's more understandable when you realize that this is the very first time the Sierra Club has done a Hillsborough forum. Plus this is just not the same political environment as Chapel Hill and Carrboro, where environmentalism is the norm.
Kudos to Town Board incumbent Mike Gehring (in old-timey politician bow tie) and Mayoral challenger Tom Stevens (in 80's modern t-shirt & blazer) just for being here!
I will report more on the forum if anything notable happens.
Forum for Hillsborough Mayor and Commissioner candidates at Battle Court Room
Pages
About Us
OrangePolitics is a not-for-profit website for discussing progressive perspectives on politics, planning, and public policy in Orange County, NC. Opinions are those of their authors. Learn more.
Community Guidelines
By using this site, you agree to our community guidelines. Inappropriate or disruptive behavior will result in moderation or eviction.
Zircon - This is a contributing Drupal Theme
Design by
WeebPal.
