Mario Savio, 1964
The faculty and the President, all America wanted to represent, with all the academic pomp and might as Berkeley tried to sell its right to obfuscate, confiscate, and delegate freedom of speech at Sather Gate. At the theatre called the Greek the stage filled with strong and meek. As Mario approached and tried to speak they dragged him nearly off his feet. All the speeches all the talk all the ostentatious display all so suddenly dragged away. An hour later on Sproul Hall steps we listened to some new precepts. As there that day it all began we came to see the message at hand. And now lest we so soon forget as we move into a century barely here yet, as we measure persons who stood so large, yes, Mario Savio, you led the charge.
Miscellaneous Love Poems © 1999 nbspublish.com
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 Mario
speaking from from the top of the police car, October 1, 1964.
Photo by Stephen Marcus, courtesy of the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley. |