History Of Act Up Shows Reluctance Of Power To Address Crisis & Power Of Effective And Creative Organizing

The Houston Democracy Project likes to read books.

Current reading is Let The Record Show: A Political History Of Act Up New York, 1987-1993.

The book is about how successful activism takes place and is a history of the Act Up movement to fight AIDS.

The Houston Democracy Project is about both voting & rank and file-led activism.

Both voting and non-conventional activism are needed for the fights against authoritarianism and white supremacy ahead.   

I've made it to P. 148 so far.

Here are five among many points the book has made so far:

The thing Act-Up participants had most in common is that they couldn't stand to be bystanders during the AIDS crisis. They felt compelled to act even as most folks sat it out.

​The effectiveness of the group was enhanced by the urgency of many of the members not having long to live. People under such stress where more flexible and creative.

​One participant said the callousness of the government response to AIDS reminded her of how long it took the government respond to popular anger over the Vietnam War. (This I felt gave insight to the often acquiescent response of many elected Democrats to attacks on democracy.)

​White gay men were surprised to the extent that people in power did not care that they had AIDS.

Small numbers of people were able to make a big difference. 

2023 Houston city elections must be as much about Houstonians organizing themselves in a cross-racial and in every way diverse democracy movement as it is about the candidates.  

We have a right to be free and to organize to protect ourselves.

The Houston Democracy Project is working everyday to make democracy a top issue in 2023 Houston politics, and to help inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston.

Please share word of the Project and support the effort with your donation.  

Please Donate