Media Release: Toronto Book Launch, Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists

Nov 12, 2012

Media Release: Toronto Book Launch, Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists

This post has not been approved by Media Co-op editors!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Scott Neigh

Email: scottneigh@sympatico.ca

 

TORONTO LAUNCH FOR TWO NEW BOOKS OF

CANADIAN HISTORY THROUGH THE STORIES OF ACTIVISTS

 

TORONTO, ONTARIO, November 12, 2012 – On Tuesday, November 13, 2012, author and activist Scott Neigh will be doing a launch event and talk for his new books, Gender and Sexuality: Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists and Resisting the State: Canadian History Through the Stories of Activists. Both books were released in September by Fernwood Publshing. The event will be held at 7pm in Room 5250, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), 252 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

We usually learn our history from the perspective of our rulers – from the top down. In these books we learn about our history from the perspectives of ordinary people – from the bottom up. Whatever liberty and justice that communities, workplaces and individuals in Canada enjoy are due to the many struggles and social movements in our country's history. Yet the stories and histories of those movements to overcome racism, sexism, and poverty, for example, remain largely untold, thanks to the single, simplistic national story taught to us in school. Deftly combining history with accounts from participants in social movements, Neigh introduces us to the untold histories of activists, histories that encourage all of us to engage in struggles that will shape our shared tomorrow.

Neigh will be joined by Frank Showler, who has been active in anti-war and social justice movements in Toronto since the late 1930s and whose words (along with his late wife Isabel's) are at the heart of Chapter 1 in Resisting the State. He will also be joined by Don Weitz, a pillar of anti-psychiatry organizing in Ontario in the last several decades and the activist whose words are at the heart of Chapter 5 in Resisting the State. And, finally, Josephine Grey, long-time anti-poverty activist with Low Income Families Together and other groups, whose words are at the heart of Chapter 6 of Resisting the State, will also be participating. Each will speak briefly about their experiences and about the importance of paying attention to history for movements today. Other activists who spent at least some time engaged in struggle in Toronto whose words appear in the books include the late Charles Roach, a radical lawyer, and Roger Obonsawin, former director of the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto.

Copies of the books will be available for sale at the events. The event is co-sponsored by OPIRG Toronto, the University of Toronto Bookstore, and Fernwood Publishing. To learn more about the books and the project of which they are a part, visit http://talkingradical.ca.

Scott Neigh lives in Sudbury, Ontario. He has been involved in anti-poverty, anti-war, indigenous solidarity, grassroots media, and other social justice organizing for more than 15 years. His writing on social issues and social movements has appeared widely online and in print. These are his first books.

To arrange an interview with Neigh, email scottneigh@sympatico.ca.