From Jim Crow to Oscar Grant: Walter Riley shares lessons from a lifetime of organizing

Walter Riley first got involved with political organizing when he was a 12-year-old boy protesting against Jim Crow-era segregation laws in North Carolina. Since then, he hosted an event with Malcolm X, managed a campaign for the Black Panther Party, helped lead the struggle for ethnic studies, and participated in countless political actions. His new book, “Civil Rights and Structural Attacks,” co-authored with Jesse Strauss, shares lessons from a lifetime of movement-building. The book, which features a foreword from Walter’s son, the revolutionary rapper and director Boots Riley, looks back at the anti-apartheid movement, the Oscar Grant uprising, and many other rebellious moments to analyze the victories and shortcomings of these struggles. In this episode, which was recorded in front of a live audience at Local Economy in Oakland, Walter also discusses strategies for overcoming sectarianism and the legacies of local political figures including Jerry Brown, Ron Dellums, and Jean Quan. Special thanks to Rose Khor for audio engineering. To see photos and links related to this episode, visit: https://https://eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/from-jim-crow-to-oscar-grant/ Don’t forget to follow the East Bay Yesterday Substack for updates on events, boat tours, exhibits, and other local history news: https://eastbayyesterday.substack.com/ Donate to keep this show alive: www.patreon.com/c/eastbayyesterday