Readers On Ossie Davis: Marilyn Albert, Ed Kent, Ken Nash and Ed Pearl

Readers On Ossie Davis:

Marilyn Albert, Ed Kent, Ken Nash and Ed Pearl

Dear Portside:

Members of Local 1199 in New York City knew Ossie Davis and
Ruby Dee well. For many years and whenever the union called
on them, they were there for the struggles of hospital and
health care workers. They walked many picket lines, notably
during two struggles for the unionization of Lawrence
Hospital in Bronxville, New York which took place decades
apart and which Ossie and Ruby threw their energies into both
times. They performed regularly for the union and traveled
from hospital to hospital for 1199's Bread and Roses program
and at the annual 1199 Salute to Freedom programs.

Ossie and Ruby were lifelong friends of 1199's late leaders,
Leon J. Davis, and Moe Foner. In 1986, during a period of
internal struggle in the union when the unique character of
1199 was at stake, Ossie made a memorable speech endorsing
the insurgent Save Our Union Movement, in which he described
1199 as a tool for workers which could not be squandered.

We will always remember Ossie Davis.

Marilyn Albert, RN
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

= = =
Submitted by Ed Kent:

Malcolm X's Eulogy

Eulogy delivered by Ossie Davis at the funeral of Malcolm X
Faith Temple Church Of God February 27,1965

"Here - at this final hour, in this quiet place - Harlem has
come to bid farewell to one of its brightest hopes -
extinguished now, and gone from us forever. For Harlem is
where he worked and where he struggled and fought - his home
of homes, where his heart was, and where his people are - and
it is, therefore, most fitting that we meet once again - in
Harlem - to share these last moments with him. For Harlem has
ever been gracious to those who have loved her, have fought
her, and have defended her honor even to the death.

It is not in the memory of man that this beleaguered,
unfortunate, but nonetheless proud community has found a
braver, more gallant young champion than this Afro-American
who lies before us - unconquered still. I say the word again,
as he would want me to: Afro-American - Afro-American
Malcolm, who was a master, was most meticulous in his use of
words. Nobody knew better than he the power words have over
minds of men. Malcolm had stopped being a 'Negro' years ago.
It had become too small, too puny, too weak a word for him.
Malcolm was bigger than that. Malcolm had become an Afro-
American and he wanted - so desperately - that we, that all
his people, would become Afro-Americans too.

There are those who will consider it their duty, as friends
of the Negro people, to tell us to revile him, to flee, even
from the presence of his memory, to save ourselves by writing
him out of the history of our turbulent times. Many will ask
what Harlem finds to honor in this stormy, controversial and
bold young captain - and we will smile. Many will say turn
away - away from this man, for he is not a man but a demon, a
monster, a subverter and an enemy of the black man - and we
will smile. They will say that he is of hate - a fanatic, a
racist - who can only bring evil to the cause for which you
struggle! And we will answer and say to them : Did you ever
talk to Brother Malcolm? Did you ever touch him, or have him
smile at you? Did you ever really listen to him? Did he ever
do a mean thing? Was he ever himself associated with violence
or any public disturbance? For if you did you would know him.
And if you knew him you would know why we must honor him.

Malcolm was our manhood, our living, black manhood! This was
his meaning to his people. And, in honoring him, we honor the
best in ourselves. Last year, from Africa, he wrote these
words to a friend: 'My journey', he says, 'is almost ended,
and I have a much broader scope than when I started out,
which I believe will add new life and dimension to our
struggle for freedom, honor and dignity in the States. I am
writing these things so that you will know for a fact the
tremendous sympathy and support we have among the African
States for our Human Rights struggle. The main thing is that
we keep a United Front wherein our most valuable time and
energy will not be wasted fighting each other.' However we
may have differed with him - or with each other about him and
his value as a man - let his going from us serve only to
bring us together, now.

Consigning these mortal remains to earth, the common mother
of all, secure in the knowledge that what we place in the
ground is no more now a man - but a seed - which, after the
winter of our discontent, will come forth again to meet us.
And we will know him then for what he was and is - a Prince -
our own black shining Prince! - who didn't hesitate to die,
because he loved us so."

= = =

>From Ken Nash:

Building Bridges: Your Community and Labor Report - National
Edition
Produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
presents a one hour special
*************************************************************

WITH OSSIE AND RUBY

To express our appreciation of the greatness of Ossie Davis
we are sending this 1998 program in which we interviewed
Ossie and Ruby about their life together in the arts and
politics spanning the struggle for social change since WW II.
In their conversation about civil rights, The Red Scare the
class struggle,the economy, war and peace they express a
philosophy of change and hope for the future which springs
from their humanity and intelligence.

*************************************************************
To download or play this 57:57 minute program:
go to radio4all download page:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=11121

Building Bridges is regularly broadcast over WBAI, 99.5 FM in
the N.Y.C Metropolitan area on Mondays from 7-8pm EST and
streamed at http://www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram

for more information email knash [at] igc.org

= = =

..and from Ed Pearl:

Democracy Now! & Pacifica Radio Archives Remember Ossie Davis

http://www.democracynow.org/

Democracy Now!

Coming up tomorrow, Monday, February 7, 2005 A tribute to the
actor and activist Ossie Davis (1917-2005)

For local schedule and TV/Radio stations check web-site.

********************

http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org

Pacifica Radio Archives Remembers Actor and Activist Ossie
Davis

December 18, 1917 - February 4, 2005

The Pacifica Radio Archives collection of over 50,000 tapes
holds significant recordings documenting the life and work of
actor and activist, Ossie Davis.

Here you can find audio samples, individual recordings
available and a special Remembrance Collection, available for
a donation.

Tapes that begin in with a 1964 reading and discussion of his
play on race relations, The Wonderful World of Law and Order
to an interview given to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! as he
joined thousands of protestors against the war on March 24,
2003.

Listen to Ossie Davis give this spine tingling message the
day after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. assasination at a
Memorial gathering in Central Park, New York April 5th, 1968.
It is passionate, wise, angry and rational.

"How much, America, do you expect us to bear? There is no
time left... For every Martin they cut down, there must be a
hundred Martins to step into his shoes." [WINDOWS-1252?]-
Ossie Davis

Ossie Davis Remembrance Collection (3 CD Set)

CD 1. The Wonderful World of Law and Order: a Play written
and read by Ossie Davis. (62:00) (BB0884)

CD 2. Ossie Davis the Activist: archival clips that highlight
Davis' political activism: End the War Rally, Madison Square
Garden , December 8, 1966; Speech given at Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial Rally recorded in Central Park, April 5,
1968; Ossie Davis eulogizes Malcolm X on 27 February 1965 at
the Faith Temple Church Of God; Ossie Davis makes statement
regarding the trial of the Harlem Six, May 13, 1971; Ossie
Davis moderates an Evening with Angela Davis, recorded
Madison Square Garden, June 29, 1972; Democracy Now!
interviews Ossie Davis during an Anti-war March, March 24,
2003.

CD 3. Ossie Davis in His Own Words: Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee
interviewed by Mimi Rosenberg, December 21, 1998; Ossie Davis
and Ruby Dee interviewed by Amy Goodman on Democracy Now!,
December 16, 1998; The Black Revolution and the White
Backlash, 1964. Ossie Davis and others discuss the social
impact of the Civil Rights movement; Ossie Davis and James
Baldwin questions author William Styron about his biography
of the Black activist Nat Turner. May 28, 1968; Stolen Lives:
A National Day Against Police Brutality: Ossie Davis speaks
at a rally chronicling the stolen lives of young people
killed by police. Oct. 28, 1998.

_______________________________________________________

portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a news,
discussion and debate service of the Committees of
Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It aims to
provide varied material of interest to people on the
left.

For answers to frequently asked questions:
<http://www.portside.org/faq>

To subscribe, unsubscribe or change settings:
<http://lists.portside.org/mailman/listinfo/portside>

To submit material, paste into an email and send to:
<moderator [at] portside.org> (postings are moderated)

To search the portside archive:
<http://people-link5.inch.com/pipermail/portside/>