News - Page 13 of 18

Marv changed my life. It was because of Marv that I met my future wife, Jacqueline.

When I was asked to sing at a demonstration against Honeywell, I told the organizer, Marv Davidov, that I would, but I would not be participating in any nonviolent action, which might lead to arrest. But when I saw the four McDonald Sisters sitting down on the steps of the entrance to Honeywell, I felt called to sit down with them in memory of my close friend Max Siegrist, a Vietnam Veteran against the war, who died tragically in a tractor accident not long after returning home.

The next thing I knew I was in the paddy wagon being hauled to jail for civil disobedience. The McDonald Sisters represented themselves at the trial, but I enlisted the help of attorney, Doug Hall. Doug was the founder of the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, who fought on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised in the city. He had a long ponytail with a gray receding hairline. Doug was one of those quiet warriors in the courtroom, who drew little attention to himself, but highly respected by all of the public defenders and progressive lawyers. Jacqueline was both.

When I tired to sing on the witness stand the judge stopped me in mid verse and said, “There will be no singing in my courtroom.” It was at that moment I looked down from the witness stand and noticed Jacqueline in the backroom with my Lakota, Vietnam Veteran friend, Rick McArthur, who worked at the Legal Rights Center as a field worker for the First Nation community. It’s important to note that the Legal Rights Center was located on Franklin Avenue, where the American Indian Movement (AIM) got started in response to the overreach of law enforcement against the large exodus of native people moving from their homes on the reservations into the city. The Legal Rights Center grew out of the need to represent many of these cases and Doug Hall was one of their lead lawyers.

Though the McDonald Sisters and I truly believed we were operating by a higher law than man, we were found guilty of trespassing. We had a choice of doing a hundred hours of public service or three days in the workhouse. I righteously, or self-righteously chose the later.

The only book I took with me to read in jail was Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth. For years I had tried to read it, which I successfully did in my steel woven jail cell on the first day.

Before going into the workhouse I asked Jacqueline if she would like to go on a date after I got out. She laughed and said, “Yes.” “Great!” I said, “Let’s go to Puerto Escondido, Mexico.” Without missing a beat, Jacqueline said, “Sure!”

It was on one of the best surfing beaches in North America on the south edge of Puerto Escondido, Playa Zicatela, which means ‘place of large thorns’ with a strong undertow, where I proposed to Jacqueline with a bottle of rum.

This year we celebrate our twenty-seventh year of marriage. Together, we now have three grown children and a granddaughter.

Who says there’s not love in the movement? We owe it all to Marv.

My good friend, David McDonald, at the age of 55 just joined the Peace Corp and is now serving in Morocco. David produced two documentaries from two songs on my new sound recording, Don’t Stand Still. (You can see them on YouTube). Last Monday David dropped by before flying out to northwest Africa and I gave him a signed copy of Don’t Stand Still to give as a gift to the Ambassadors to Morocco, Sam & Sylvia Kaplan, who are also friends. Three days later I received this wonderful photograph of beloved David with Ambassadors Sam & Sylvia Kaplan in Morocco. It is such a small and wonderful world. Peace!

Larry Long and Robert Robinson have teamed up to create a musical card featuring the beautiful “Mother’s Song,” written by Long as a tribute to his mother and appearing on his latest album, Don’t Stand Still. Along with the beautiful artwork from Ron Germundson, this card makes a wonderful gift for any mom.

Listen to a sample:

I created For My Mother singing cards in remembrance of my own mother, Roberta. The words on the card are the first and last verses to a song I wrote for her called, Mother’s Song. I sang it for my mother when she grew ill and while she passed in hospice care.

Though she has now passed I feel her presence daily. As the first verse sings:

You were there when I first spoke
You were there when I first stood
You are there to give me hope
You are there in all that’s good

My mother cared a lot for people. She was a community volunteer, who was honored at the White House for the time she gave to help others even in better health than she.

I asked “Minnesota’s Master Male Vocalist” Robert Robinson to sing on this card, as a gift to all mother’s. Especially for Mom’s who are going through a life transition, as a means for their children to express their love to their mother.

The cards are available for sale online and through Soderberg’s Floral (wholesale orders). For more information:

www.larrylong.org

www.robertrobinsonmusic.com

Soderberg Florists /Kym Erickson
3305 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
wecare@soderbergsflorist.com
(612) 724-3606

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

“I see change coming, and I’m really glad about it.”

Young Dylon Frei spoke these words after their victory this Tuesday over the neutrality position of the Anoka Hennepin School District regarding the bullying of GLBT Youth. Dylon’s words inspired I See Change Coming, which we sang together on Tuesday night in celebration!

I See Change Coming

I see change a coming (repeat)
And it makes me glad (repeat)
There’s a change a coming (repeat)
And it makes me glad (repeat)
You can’t be neutral when it comes to love
That’s one thing I’ve been thinking of
Love has the power (repeat)
To make things right (repeat)
Love has the power (repeat)
To change your life (repeat)
I see change a coming (repeat)
And it gives me joy (repeat)
I see change a coming (repeat)
For every girl and boy (repeat)
You can’t be neutral when it comes to love
That’s one thing I’ve been thinking of
Love has the power (repeat)
To set you free (repeat)
Love has the power (repeat)
To be all you can be (repeat)
I see change a coming (repeat)
And it’s right on time (repeat)
I see change a coming (repeat)
Time to be kind
You can’t be neutral when it comes to love
That’s one thing I’ve been thinking of
Love has the power (repeat)
To reconcile (repeat)
Love has the power (repeat)
To make you smile (repeat)
To walk that extra mile for someone else
To make that someone smile, not just for yourself
To treat that someone how you want to be treated yourself
To love someone else!
Love has the power to set you free!

I see change a coming and it’s here right now!

Words & Music by Larry Long
© Larry Long 2012/BMI

Check it out:

We Shall Overcome

Featuring Joan Baez, Billy Bragg, Bruce Cockburn, Guy Davis, Ruby Dee, Ani DiFanco, Emmylou Harrish, Larry Long, Scarlett Lee Moore, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon, Tao Rodriquez-Seeger, Pete Seeger, Dar Williams

Tomorrow, Saturday, March 10th, there will be a ‘Celebration of the Life of Marv Davidov’ in stories, poetry, song, and film. Speakers and performers include Larry Long, Garrison Keillor, Jamela …Pettiford, Clyde Bellecourt, Tony Bouza, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, Carol Connolly, Bill Tilton, Jerry Rau, Steve Sato, the MacDonald Sisters, and others.

Where: Woulfe Alumni Hall on the third floor of the brand new Anderson Student Center at St. Thomas University
Northeast corner of Cretin and Summit Aves., St. Paul, Minnesota.

Gathering and visiting: 1:00 to 2:00 PM
Formal Program: 2:00 to 3:30 PM
Open Mic: 3:35 to 4:05 PM
Exhibits and refreshments: 3:30 to 5:00 PM

Suggested $5 minimum donation to the Marv Davidov Peace and Justice Fund (c/o Tilton & Dunn P.L.L.P, U.S. Bank Center, 101 East Fifth Street, Ste. 2220, St. Paul, MN 55101)

Visit the event’s Facebook page and see the memories, photos, and links to Marv memorabilia from those affected by Marv’s amazing life of dedication. Add your own contributions to this treasure of remembrances:

https://www.facebook.com/events/305995852784674/See More

UPDATE: Larry Long will be performing his new song with Billy Peterson, Generations 2 Come at the St. Paul Capitol in Minnesota on March 8th, 10:30 am.

Larry has just completed the recording Generations 2 Come to help save the Boundary Waters. You can learn more about the event here. Dog Sleds are heading out February 29 – arriving March 8th in St. Paul. Larry will be singing Generations 2 Come on March 8th at the Capitol.

Listen to Generations 2 Come on SoundCloud now!

SLED DOGS TO ST. PAUL: The Race to Protect Minnesota’s Natural Heritage – March 1st through March 8th, 2012

Get involved with this historic eight day dogsled trip from Northeastern Minnesota to the State Capitol. Frank Moe and his dog team from Grand Marais will deliver your letters and petition signatures to the Capitol on Thursday March 8th.
Hear and share Larry Long’s Generations 2 Come SONG and Lyrics

Dog teams from both Ely and Grand Marais will leave on Thursday March 1st. The teams will meet in Finland and Frank Moe and his dogs will continue to Duluth and arrive at their destination in St. Paul on Thursday March 8th.

Rallies will be held in Ely and Grand Marais on March 1st, Finland on Saturday March 3rd, Duluth on Sunday March 4th and at the Capitol on March 8th.

The benefit, Friends of Carrie, with the legendary members of “Hang Dynasty” raised over $12,000 for Carrie Stenson-Hansen’s fight against cancer. Larry wrote and performed a song especially written for the occasion with Hang Dynasty, called Friends of Carrie.