Upper School Assembly: George Lakey

George Lakey gave a rousing presentaion at a recent Upper School Assembly. Lakey is an activist and author who has committed his life to fighting for social justice in many realms: racial justice, LGBTQ rights, and climate justice, among many others. As a Quaker, he has co-founded and led many organizations and campaigns focused on peace and justice. At the assembly, he spoke about his anti-war activism in Vietnam, his work in the civil rights movement, and his recent work fighting climate change. A sociologist and researcher by trade who has studied social movements across world and in Scandivia in particular, he addressed the extreme political polarization in the United States, reminding students that polarization very often precedes progress in societies; that it’s often this tension that propels movements forward. He reminded students that they can can be instrumental in change as well. The presentation was followed by a lively Q&A period. 

Upper School religion teacher Lara Freeman, who was instrumental in bringing George to campus, shares, “George visited one of the Environmental Justice classes for an open conversation about social change and his long history of working for a more just world. The students came prepared with questions they wanted to ask. The conversation was rich and could have lasted another hour. Following the presentation in assembly, George also met with students, staff, and faculty in a reception in the South Room. It was exciting to hear from adults who had participated in trainings with George in their youth as well as to see a new generation of people motivated by his joy, humor, and creative engagement in this world.” It is of note that Westtown students who have taken the Peace and Justice classes over the last few years have used the Global Nonviolent Action Database, which Lakey helped to create at Swarthmore College. 

Lakey is a member of the Earth Quaker Action Team and columnist for WagingNonviolence.org. You can learn more about Lakey and his work in the documentary film Citizen George, or through his books. He is the author of: Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice; Facilitating Group Learning: Strategies for Success with Diverse Learners; Viking Economics: How the Scandinavians got it right and how we can, too; and HOW WE WIN: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning.