Toby Emmer: A Remarkable Life of Struggle Against Racism, Imperialism and Repression

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Published: 01 August 2022

(Aired on August 2, 2022)

Toby's campaign poster in 1972 running against the repressive sheriff in Madison, WI.

We remembered and paid tribute to the remarkable life of Toby Emmer, a lifelong anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, and anti-racist activist, and a bisexual woman, who died on May 15 at age 78 after a short illness. She lived in Brooklyn.

The program featured interviews recently conducted by Out-FM co-producer Bob Lederer with two good friends of Toby:

Silvia Baraldini, a lifelong anti-imperialist, former U.S. political prisoner, and a bisexual woman. Silvia is an Italian citizen who did the first phase of her political work in the U.S, where she ultimately became a political prisoner. In 1984, Silvia was convicted of having participated in the escape/liberation from prison of Assata Shakur, a member of the Black Liberation Army now living as a political refugee in Cuba, as well as other actions in solidarity with the Black Liberation Movement. In 1999, after 17 years in prison and a long grassroots pressure campaign in the U.S. (largely led by Toby Emmer) as well as in Italy, President Clinton was forced to return Silvia to Italy. She was released from prison in 2006. Silvia is currently a member of the Fondazione la Rossa Primavera, whose primary objective is collecting, preserving and making available materials from Italy’s revolutionary movements of the 1970s and 80s. Toby worked closely with Silvia, when the latter activist was still in prison, in leading the Committee to Return Silvia Baraldini to Italy. Silvia joined us from Rome, Italy.

Ana Lopez, longtime activist for Puerto Rican independence, was New York coordinator of the National Committee to Free Puerto Rican Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War in the 1980s and more recently, coordinator of the New York branch of the national and international campaign to free Oscar Lopez Rivera, the last of the Puerto Rican political prisoners. In 2017, after 36 years in prison, Oscar was granted clemency by outgoing President Obama, thanks to a massive international pressure campaign. Ana is also Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies at Hostos Community College, part of the City University of New York.

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We urge those of you who cherish Toby’s memory to make a donation so that listener-sponsored, progressive radio station can survive. Only by refusing to take corporate funding can this station, and its parent Pacifica network, keep radical voices on the air. Funding is more at risk now than ever. Any donation, however small, will make a real difference. Please visit give2wbai.org. Thanks so much for your support.

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EXCERPTS FROM TWO TRIBUTES TO TOBY EMMER

About Out-FM

Out-FM is a weekly progressive, intersectional queer show on listener-sponsored, noncommercial WBAI/Pacifica Radio. It airs at 99.5 and wbai.org, generally on Tuesdays from 8-9 PM.  Please support us by donating to WBAI. Become a member for $25 or a BAI Buddy (sustainer) for $10/month or more. Go to give2wbai.org and let WBAI management know you listen to Out-FM by supporting the station with a donation. Be sure and mention us when you donate.

March Against Monkey Pox and Government Failure

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Published: 26 July 2022

Tune into Out-FM on Tuesday July 12 from 8:00-9:00pm, on 99.5FM WBAI/NY & listen at https://www.wbai.org/listen-live/

If you miss the live show, the sound file for the whole show is posted below. You can download it or stream it. 

Chanting, “ACT UP, Fightback Fight AIDS, Fight Covid, Fight Monkey Pox”, hundreds gathered July 21^st at Foley square near the NY Federal building demanding Action on the latest Pandemic to hit the LGBT Community and potentionally everyone. With 3487 Monkey Pox cases as of July 25^th and cases in 45 of the 50 states and Puerto Rico, the disease is spreading like wildfire.

WHO Director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls the Monkey Pox outbreak an emergency, while the Biden administration dithers. The emergency declaration could bring immense resources to stopping the spread of the epidemic, but instead millions of vaccines and doses of antivirals remain stashed in warehouses and factories.

On this show, we’ll hear from activists, many former veterans of ACT UP, as well as scientists about what needs to be done, most importantly, building an activist response to force polititians to do the right thing, right now. Voices include:

• Matt Ford, a person with recent first hand experience with Monkey Pox,
• James Krellenstin from Prep4all, who helped lead the fight.
• Mark Harrington from the Treatment Action Group
• Jawanza Williams of Vocal-NY
• Ivy Arce of ACT UP and other organizations
• Dr. Lauren Theravich, a disability rights activist
• Cecilia Gentile, a sex worker advocate
• and Professor of Microbiology Joe Osmonson

About Out-FM

Out-FM is a weekly progressive queer show on listener-sponsored, noncommercial WBAI/Pacifica Radio. It airs at 99.5 and wbai.org, generally on Tuesdays from 8-9 PM.  Please support us by donating to WBAI. Become a member for $25 or a BAI Buddy (sustainer) for $10/month or more, or go to our premium site if you'd like a gift. Go to give2wbai.org or call 212-209-2950 and let WBAI management know you listen to Out-FM by supporting the station with a donation. Be sure and mention us when you donate.