June Jordan: “Speech Against the Gulf War”

June Jordan’s Speech Against the Gulf War (February 21, 1991)

June Jordan wrote about the lives of ordinary people — their loves, desires, struggles, and passions. She was an internationalist who was committed to breaking down boundaries of nation and ethnicity.

On February 21, 1991, the anniversary of the assassination of Malcolm X, she spoke at a rally in Hayward, California against the war in the Gulf.

Below is an excerpt from Jordan’s speech, read by Kathleen Chalfant on May 2, 2007, at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, New York City. The excerpt is from Voices of a People’s History of the United States edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove.

Many more video clips can be found at the Voices of a People’s History website and in the film The People Speak.