Bettina Aptheker: "Let Us Join Hands: Feminism, Social Justice and the Scholar/Activist"

The feminist Chicana poet, Pat Mora, called upon us to join hands "in towns and cities and villages, mano a mano, hand in hand" with all those to whom we can send solidarity in struggles for peace and social justice. Published in 1995 the poem resonates anew in this time of a generation's rising to Occupy Wall Street in hundreds of cities around the globe. In this talk Bettina Aptheker will reflect on this historic moment, its intergenerational links, and the issues of economic justice, racial oppression, environmental degradation, LGBT pride, and the feminist aspirations that give rise to it. She will then consider how we may combine feminist scholarly work with political activism to contribute to greater global responsibility and compassion. Bettina Aptheker is Professor of Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the author of How I Grew Up Red, Fought for Free Speech and Became a Feminist Rebel.