David Dellinger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Dellinger
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Dellinger in 1943
|
|
| Born | August 22, 1915 Wakefield, Massachusetts, U.S.
|
| Died | May 25, 2004 (aged 88) Montpelier, Vermont, U.S.
|
| Education | Yale University (BA) New College, Oxford Columbia University |
| Occupation | Writer, activist, pacifist |
| Known for | Political activism, one of the Chicago Seven |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Peterson |
David T. Dellinger (born August 22, 1915 – died May 25, 2004) was an American who believed in peace. He worked for big changes in society without using violence. He became well-known as one of the Chicago Seven, a group of people who faced a famous trial in 1969.
Contents
David Dellinger's Early Life
David Dellinger was born in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He came from a family that had a lot of money. His father was a lawyer and a friend of President Calvin Coolidge.
David went to Yale University and studied economics. He also studied at New College, Oxford and Columbia University. He thought about becoming a minister.
Even though he came from a rich family, David chose a different path. During the Great Depression, a time when many people had no jobs or money, he left Yale. He decided to live with people who were homeless, called hobos, to understand their struggles.
While studying in England, he visited Nazi Germany. He also drove an ambulance during the Spanish Civil War. This war was fought in Spain. David was against the war and did not want to fight. He believed that wars were often fought for big companies, not for people.
Working for Peace
During World War II, David Dellinger refused to fight. He was a conscientious objector. This means he would not join the army because of his strong beliefs against war. Because of this, he was put in prison.
In prison, David and other conscientious objectors protested. They spoke out against the prison's rule of keeping Black and white prisoners separate. Their protests helped to end this unfair rule in the dining halls.
After the war, David continued to work for peace. He helped start groups like the Committee for Nonviolent Revolution. He also joined the War Resisters League. This group works to end war.
In the 1950s and 1960s, David joined marches for civil rights in the South. He also went on hunger strikes while in jail to protest.
He helped start a magazine called Liberation. This magazine shared ideas from people who wanted social change without using violence. David became friends with many important leaders. These included Martin Luther King Jr. and Eleanor Roosevelt.
David also traveled to North Vietnam and South Vietnam in 1966. He wanted to see how American bombing was affecting the people there. He worked hard to bring leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. into the anti-war movement.
The Chicago Seven Trial
As the United States got more involved in the Vietnam War, David Dellinger used Mahatma Gandhi's ideas of nonviolence. He became a leader in the movement against the war.
A big moment for him was the Chicago Seven trial. In 1968, many anti-war protesters gathered in Chicago. They were there during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. David and others were accused of planning to cause a riot.
David and his co-defendants used the trial to speak out against the Vietnam War. They wanted to show the country why the war was wrong. In 1970, they were found not guilty of planning a riot. However, David and four others were found guilty of crossing state lines to cause a riot.
Later, a higher court looked at the case again. They found that the judge had not handled the trial fairly. The convictions were overturned two years later. This meant David and the others were cleared of the charges.
Later Activities
After the Chicago Seven trial, David Dellinger continued his work. He taught at Goddard College in Vermont. He also helped start a news magazine called Seven Days. This magazine shared news from a different point of view.
In 1986, David wrote about his life. He said that to truly say "no" to war and unfairness, you must also say "yes" to life, love, and laughter.
In 1992, David Dellinger received an award for his lifelong commitment to peace. It was called the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience award.
He continued to protest even when he was older. In 1996, he was arrested during a sit-in protest in Chicago. In 2001, he led young activists to protest a conference about trade.
David Dellinger's Death
David Dellinger passed away in Montpelier, Vermont, in 2004. He was 88 years old.
David Dellinger in Movies
David Dellinger's story has been told in several movies:
- Peter Boyle played him in the 1987 film Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8.
- Dylan Baker was his voice in the 2007 animated film Chicago 10.
- Peter Mackenzie played him in the 2010 film The Chicago 8.
- John Carroll Lynch played him in the 2020 drama film The Trial of the Chicago 7.
Images for kids
-
Dellinger in 1943
Selected Books by David Dellinger
- Revolutionary Nonviolence: Essays by Dave Dellinger, 1970
- More Power Than We Know: The People’s Movement Toward Democracy, 1975
- Vietnam Revisited: From Covert Action to Invasion to Reconstruction, 1986
- From Yale to Jail: The Life Story of a Moral Dissenter, 1993 (This is David Dellinger's autobiography, telling his own life story.)
See also
- List of peace activists
