In part 3 of my extended conversation with rock and roll legend and lifelong fighter for equality and justice Steven Van Zandt, Steven talks about:
-- The power of words: don't call what the Republicans are doing "voter
suppression", call it what it is, "voter nullification"
-- Why Trump is criminally responsible for avoidable deaths
-- Flipping just two sitting Republican members of Congress by making
them "an offer they can't refuse"
-- After creating Artists United Against Apartheid in the 1980s, whether it's
time to organize/create a new artistic army:
Artists Against AMERICAN Aparthied
From Parts 1 and 2 of my conversation with Steven:
In part 2 of my conversation with Steven Van Zandt he takes on big issues:
This from his book, Unrequited Infatuations:
"The death of the '60s was far more profound. It was the death of a dream of a better society, a new way of living and thinking. The hippies were going to finally implement the ideals of the Founding Fathers. We may not have had their intellect, but goddamn it, we had their spirit!
And then that dream disintegrated, with the assassination of one hero after another, the uprising of a frustrated black population (riots, they were called, but they were really a matter of a seventh of our population waiting for the Civil War to end -- still are) . . ."
Steven also tells a harrowing and horrific story about a cab ride in Pretoria, South Africa, an experience that served as a catalyst for his creation of Artists United Against Apartheid.
From Part 1:
You might know him as Miami Steve from the E Street Band.
You might know him as Little Steven, front man for his own band,
Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul.
You might know him as Silvio Dante from The Sopranos.
You might know him as Frank Tagliano from Lilyhammer.
You might know his as rock and roll curator and keeper of the rock and
roll flame on Little Steve's Underground Garage.
You might know him as the force behind Artists United Against Apartheid,
part of a multi-front fight in the 1980s to end South African apartheid.
What you may not know is that Steven is a fighter for freedom, democracy, equality and justice. Indeed, those familiar with his music will recognize the theme of justice running through every record, from 1982's Men Without Women to his most recent release, Summer of Sorcery.
He shares it all with us in his book Unrequited Infatuations, which you can find here:
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/stevie-van-zandt/unrequited-infatuations/9780306925429/
If you tune in to my daily Justice Matters videos, you know I don't often conduct interviews. But I have been a lifelong fan of Steven's music and his dedication to justice, and I had to sit down with him for a far-ranging chat about the history of rock and roll, the history of our fight for equality and justice and what we can do today to keep both rock and roll and the promise of equal justice for all alive.
Hope you enjoy part 1 of a 4-part series and would love to hear any and all feedback on this video.
Thank you to all my Team Justice friends and a special thanks to Team Justice editor Peter Soby (on Twitter @petersoby) for his assistance and his undying dedication to our justice fight.
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