Tributes to Dan Leahy
An organizer organizes.
And a good one creates more organizers.
Dan Leahy worked with thousands of people over his many decades of work. He taught many of us, organized most of us, and hired some of us (all at the downtown Olympia bar Ben Moore’s, apparently), and shared insights with all of us.
We invited people to share “Shit Dan Leahy Taught Us” based on a class designed by one of Dan’s colleagues, Anthony Zaragoza, called “Shit You Should Know.”
Anthony published many of the talks in 2022, including one by Dan on “Rules for Challenging Illegitimate Authority.” Here is a video of Dan giving this talk to Anthony’s class
These tributes from neighbors, former students, organizers, educators, and friends reflect lessons learned and a legacy that echoes in our lives.
Denny May
A Few Things I Learned from Dan Leahy Big Picture Never forget: they want it all. For me, this warrants repeating, daily, because even though we see endless examples of it every day, the received wisdom of the culture dilutes and disguises this effectively and...
Chrysta Faye
Shit Dan taught me For which I am forever grateful. How you set up a room determines how people interact. Make a circle so power isn’t placed up front Remember people’s names. If you don’t they won’t remember you. If you want to know what’s the agenda in your city,...
Chris Bowers
“Most evergreen students can’t organize themselves out of a bag”. -Dan Leahy But then he taught us to organize ourselves out of the bag full of shit we found after getting expelled from Mexico. I learned specifically how to deal with the press, how to make talking...
Brian Fitzpatrick
La Mierda that “Danny Boy” taught me. We met in Melaque, Jalisco. Dan was singing in the shower where he exposed… his Fenian Proclivities. He insisted that Melaque was a derivative of malarkey and while he spun his tale I was smitten by his intellect and passion....
Bob Shirley
Some time in the 1980s I was invited by Dan and Bethany to join them at the house near the beach they had rented for the month of August. Cannot remember the year but pretty sure both JD and Chad were with them. One night, the adults (there were at least three other...
Ananda Timm-Zderic
Big hearted, don't fuck with me man, Dan Machete in hand, Mexico city, solidarity with Atenco; wait now I'm at LAX, Dan Open my table and home to you, make myself available to you, always kind, but dare you cross, Dan To be bold, to give a shit by not giving a shit...
Steve Hughes
You gave me one of the greatest gifts I have ever received in my life as an organizer. When Becka and I were two trouble-makers playing union at Evergreen, you took the time to write a memo analyzing the mass meeting we had organized…
Ellen Shortt Sanchez
When I was a work study student with the Labor Center at Evergreen in the late 80s, I learned so much and went to so many places and knew we were in the heart of the struggle. Dan taught me about ‘Political Self Respect’ which has carried me far.
Melissa Roberts
Working with Dan for the past 35 years has been full of all kinds of lessons... where do I even begin? I’ve learned both political and personal lessons. Dan has taught me about organizing, power relationships, movement-building, and keeping campaign momentum going...
Nicholas Heflling
Hi Dan, It's hard not to start this with the same sort of niceties everyone always starts emails with "hope this email finds you well!" or something to that effect. Of course I do hope this email finds you well, but given the circumstances, it feels particularly...
Thys Van Cort
Dan and I are about the same age. In the 1970s when Dan lived in Ithaca, NY, we were very close and had good times and great adventures together. I think we learned from each other as we went along, but I don’t have any specific teaching or incident that I can...
Clark Gilman
What I learned from Dan First and always - Follow The Rules. Working class people are never surprised by The Rules, they have always learned and lived a version of The Rules. Don’t ever defend or explain the rules to those in power. Actions speak louder than words....