Jennifer Meeropol is the granddaughter of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg and the daughter of RFC Founder, Robert Meeropol. Jenn became the Executive Director of the RFC on September 1, 2013. Prior posts on this page were written by Robert (unless otherwise noted), and represent his opinions, which are not necessarily shared by the RFC.
[guest post by Amber Black, RFC Communications Director]
The five-day, multi-city Seeger Fest, honoring Pete and Toshi Seeger and created by their grandson Kitama Cahill-Jackson, with help from Gina Belafonte (daughter of Harry), runs July 17th-21st in sites around NY state and across several boroughs of New York City. The line-up of more than 200 folk, hip hop, punk and indie rock artists is incredible, and ranges from high profile performers to emerging artists. Programming includes concerts, film, photos, dancing, rowing and more. All events are free and most are outside. Details are at www.seegerfest.org.
This June 19th was the first anniversary of my grandparents’ executions I observed as the Executive Director of the RFC. While I’ve been here for other anniversaries, this was the first time supporters from across the country contacted me (instead of my father) to share their thoughts and memories of that day.
I was so moved by the many stories people sent me of either being in NYC on June 19, 1953 or of learning about my grandparents, some times decades later, from their own parents or other family members. I wanted to share some of their memories with you:
My grandparents were executed 61 years ago today. In their final letter to my father and uncle they wrote they “were comforted in the sure knowledge that others would carry on after us.” (Click here to see Eve Ensler and Cotter Smith read the letter, introduced by Angela Davis.) Since 1990, support from thousands of people allowed first my dad, and more recently me, to justify their faith and convert the destruction that was visited upon our family into the Rosenberg Fund for Children to benefit kids whose famil
[guest post by Amber Black, RFC Communications Director]
From indigenous artists using hip hop and digital media to fight colonization, to how the War on Terror is criminalizing entire communities; from the campaign for a $15/hour minimum wage, to the fight against solitary confinement and mass incarceration; and from “Antipsychiatry’s Challenge to the Left,” to revolutionary politics in Venezuela and Quebec, and scores of other topics, Left Forum 2014 was a thrumming beehive of discourse about progressive movements across the U.S. and around the globe.
I am thrilled to announce that the RFC will co-sponsor Seeger Fest (www.seegerfest.org), a five day celebration (July 17 – 21) of the lives, work, activism and music of Pete and Toshi Seeger.