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In Memory of Todd Gitlin, 1943–2022

In Memory of Todd Gitlin, 1943–2022 t odd was the political big brother I never had. When he wrote about what was wrong in our country and what the left should do about it, I either agreed with him immediately or needed to understand why I did not—and assumed he could persuade me to change my mind. Better than anyone I have known, t odd combined a passion for changing the world with a healthy skepticism about those on our side who, in their own righteous zeal, made self-defeating choices. He knew what drove some SDSers—like me—to try to “bring the war home” but also cautioned that smashing windows and making bombs would only push more Americans into the not-so-silent Nixonian majority. He empa- thized with the hunger for recognition, respect, and power that drove identity politics while arguing that “to recognize diversity, more than diversity is needed. t he commons is needed. t o affirm the rights of minorities, majorities must be formed.” I think Occupy Wall Street excited t odd more than any other event on the left since the flowering of the movement against the war in Vietnam. After the police inevitably shut down the occupations, t odd was ready with a “Charter for the 99 Percent” full of specific proposals that might help the movement “avoid self-enclosure” and “accept meaningful contributions from millions as well as a hard core of committed activists.” t hrough well over six decades of organizing and intellectual work, t odd’s eloquent perception of political wrongs and how to right them never flagged. In his history-memoir,  The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage, t odd recalled, “In those years I used to keep over my desk a quotation from t horeau: ‘t he memory of my country spoils my walk.’” May our brother’s memory and prose help guide and give us pleasure along the trail to an equal, democratic, and sustainable world. —Michael Kazin http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Dissent University of Pennsylvania Press

In Memory of Todd Gitlin, 1943–2022

Kazin, Michael
Dissent , Volume 69 (2) – Mar 26, 2022
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Publisher
University of Pennsylvania Press
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for the Study of Independent Social Ideas, Inc. (FSISI)
ISSN
1946-0910

Abstract

t odd was the political big brother I never had. When he wrote about what was wrong in our country and what the left should do about it, I either agreed with him immediately or needed to understand why I did not—and assumed he could persuade me to change my mind. Better than anyone I have known, t odd combined a passion for changing the world with a healthy skepticism about those on our side who, in their own righteous zeal, made self-defeating choices. He knew what drove some SDSers—like me—to try to “bring the war home” but also cautioned that smashing windows and making bombs would only push more Americans into the not-so-silent Nixonian majority. He empa- thized with the hunger for recognition, respect, and power that drove identity politics while arguing that “to recognize diversity, more than diversity is needed. t he commons is needed. t o affirm the rights of minorities, majorities must be formed.” I think Occupy Wall Street excited t odd more than any other event on the left since the flowering of the movement against the war in Vietnam. After the police inevitably shut down the occupations, t odd was ready with a “Charter for the 99 Percent” full of specific proposals that might help the movement “avoid self-enclosure” and “accept meaningful contributions from millions as well as a hard core of committed activists.” t hrough well over six decades of organizing and intellectual work, t odd’s eloquent perception of political wrongs and how to right them never flagged. In his history-memoir,  The Sixties: Years of Hope, Days of Rage, t odd recalled, “In those years I used to keep over my desk a quotation from t horeau: ‘t he memory of my country spoils my walk.’” May our brother’s memory and prose help guide and give us pleasure along the trail to an equal, democratic, and sustainable world. —Michael Kazin

Journal

Dissent – University of Pennsylvania Press

Published: Mar 26, 2022

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