EC

When the courts ruled that the schools had to be integrated in 1974, the racists organized a huge movement. In the summer of 1974, there were two demonstrations of over twenty thousand people. And during those marches, no black people were allowed downtown. Police would enforce that. And black people who accidentally walked in the area would get beaten. Police were a big part of the rallies. We had virtually an all-white police department.

The Left was paralyzed. We didn’t know what to do. This came on the heels of the antiwar movement, and most of the established antiwar movement folded. They just could not deal with it. So Workers World started organizing. We were a small organization. We went to different community groups and started organizing small demonstrations. People had to bring baseball bats.

Leslie Feinberg was identified as a man at that time, with a beard. But Leslie was also identified as a trans leader, even though the trans movement was in its infancy politically. Our movement was building, but we needed information on what the other side was doing. So I — being from Boston and having a Boston accent and having grown up in some of the neighborhoods where this stuff was happening — went undercover and joined the racist movement.

I went to all the leadership meetings. Leslie was the only person with the guts to come with me. We were young at the time, around twenty. Leslie was so gifted at identifying working-class issues that even though Leslie had a Buffalo accent, Leslie came and infiltrated with me. It was particularly funny, because everybody else had a Boston accent. So Leslie tried not to speak too often! But Leslie could relate to working-class people.

One time we were with them and they decided to go attack Governor Dukakis’s house, because the governor hadn’t made a commitment to oppose integration. I was caught by surprise. We were in a van with some of the militants. If someone needed roughing up, these were the people that were going to do it. It was a young crowd.

So we’re on our way, the leaders are driving, and I’m trying to pump some information from them, while Leslie is amongst the young people there. Since I hadn’t prepared, I was carrying leaflets and buttons for the March Against Racism in my pocket. Many of the kids were juvenile delinquents, and we liked to pick pockets.

All of a sudden, I feel a hand in my pocket, and I said, “Oh, fuck.” I realized what was in there, and I was ready to turn around and start swinging my fists. And I quickly turn around and Leslie’s laughing, hands up, saying “Don’t worry, don’t worry.” Leslie’s there encouraging this kid to pick my pocket and then taking my stuff out of his pocket, so no one sees it. Leslie was so quick.