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Quote by Bill Ayers

“Students for a Democratic Society was founded in 1961.”

Quote by Bill Ayers

Author

Bill Ayers (born December 26, 1944) is an American educator and former professor who taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He earned his doctorate in education from the University of Michigan and specialized in curriculum theory, teacher education, and educational reform. Ayers is a controversial figure due to his past involvement with the Weather Underground, a radical left-wing organization in the 1960s and 1970s. He has authored several books on progressive education and teaching methods. His academic work has influenced educators in the progressive education movement, though his historical association with radical groups remains a subject of public debate. more

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“[Students for a Democratic Society] was on many campuses and it was a powerful organization. It was founded by Tom Hayden, who passed away very recently. It was one of the founders of SDS and that chief writer of the Port Huron Statement, which is still worth reading. It's kind of the Bernie Sanders campaign document in a funny way.”

Way Kind Stills Reading Powerful Students Organization Democratic Campaigns Statements Chiefs Toms Founders Documents Port Campus Passed Away Democratic Society Worth Reading

Author:Bill Ayers

“[Students for a Democratic Society] it's a social democratic program.”

Social Students Program Democratic Democratic Society

Author:Bill Ayers

“That's where we all kind of were in the mid-1960s. Students for a Democratic Society grew from a small group of socialists at the university of Michigan into a national organization, and in many ways, its growth was driven by the Vietnam War.”

Way Kind War Growth Groups Students Grew Organization Democratic University Driven All Kinds Vietnam 1960s Vietnam War Michigan Democratic Society Small Groups University Of Michigan

Author:Bill Ayers

“Students for a Democratic Society was also affiliated with the civil rights movement everywhere.”

Rights Movement Students Democratic Civil Rights Civil Rights Movement Democratic Society

Author:Bill Ayers

“The end of Students for a Democratic Society is viewed by me and a lot of other people as a terrible sorry in many ways, tragic event even though I participated in it and played some role in it. But I regret a lot of that.”

People Way Ends Roles Events Students Regret Terrible Democratic Sorry Tragic I Regret Democratic Society Tragic Events

Author:Bill Ayers

“When I was arrested opposing the war in Vietnam in 1965, as I said about 20 or 30% of people were opposed to the war. By 1968, more than half of Americans were opposed to the war. If you pull in Europeans, Canadians, people from around the Third World, the war was vastly unpopular. But even half of Americans by 1968 opposed the war.”

People Ifs World Said War Half Thirds Vietnam Arrested Opposing Third World

Author:Bill Ayers

“Lyndon Johnson who was the president who was executing that war, announced in the spring of 1968 that he would not seek the presidency again. He would go to Paris and end the war in Vietnam. Well we were ecstatic.”

Wells War Ends President Spring Paris Vietnam Presidency Johnson Ecstatic Executing

Author:Bill Ayers

“I'd been arrested many times by then. I'd been an organizer, so many things had changed over those three years [from 1965 till 1968].”

Years Three Changed Three Years Arrested Organizer

Author:Bill Ayers

“So we were ecstatic and we swirled around spontaneously, the campus in Ann Harbor and about 4,000 of us landed on the steps of the president of the University of Michigan's home.”

Home President Steps University Harbors Campus Ecstatic Michigan University Of Michigan

Author:Bill Ayers

“The president of the University said that night, congratulations to you the students, you've won a great victory, now the war will end. And I'm certain that he believed it that night and I believed it and we went away happy. Four days later, Martin Luther King was assassinated. Two months after that, Kennedy was assassinated. Two months after that, Henry Kissinger emerged from the swamp he was living in at Harvard with a plan to expand the war.”

Said Two War Ends Night Certain President Four Plans Students Months Kings Victory University Congratulations Luther Harvard Two Months Swamps Great Victory Kissinger Henry Kissinger

Author:Bill Ayers