Jack Weinberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jack Weinberg
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Weinberg in 1968
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| Born | April 4, 1940 Buffalo, New York, U.S.
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| Education | University of California, Berkeley (BA) |
| Occupation | Environmental consultant |
| Known for | Free Speech Movement, environmental activism |
| Spouse(s) | Valerie Denney |
Jack Weinberg (born April 4, 1940) is an American activist who has worked to protect the environment and support civil rights. He is most famous for his important role in the Free Speech Movement at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1964. This movement helped students gain the right to express their views freely on campus.
Contents
Jack Weinberg: A Champion for Change
Early Life and Activism
Jack Weinberg was born in Buffalo, New York, on April 4, 1940. He grew up in Buffalo, where his father owned a small jewelry store.
He started college at the University of Buffalo. When he was 21, he moved to the University of California, Berkeley. There, he studied mathematics and graduated with high honors in January 1963.
In 1963, Jack joined the Berkeley chapter of CORE. CORE was a group that worked for civil rights for all people. He traveled through the southern United States that summer, visiting other civil rights groups. When he returned to Berkeley, he decided to leave graduate school. He wanted to work full-time on civil rights activities. He soon became the head of Campus CORE.
The Free Speech Movement
In the fall of 1964, Jack Weinberg was very involved in student activism at the University of California, Berkeley. On October 1, 1964, he was sitting at a CORE table in Sproul Plaza. This was a place where students could share their ideas. The university had new rules that limited student political activities. Jack refused to show his ID to campus police and was arrested.
A large group of students quickly gathered around the police car. They sat on the ground, stopping the car from moving. This was a peaceful protest called a sit-in. For many hours, students, including Mario Savio, gave speeches from the top of the police car. They called for free speech on campus. Jack Weinberg also spoke to the crowd from the car. At one point, about 3,000 students were around the car.
Standing Up for Rights
The protest lasted for about 24 hours. On the evening of October 2, 1964, student groups and the university signed an agreement. This agreement, called the Pact of October 2, allowed students more freedom to speak their minds. After being in the police car for 32 hours, Jack was released. The agreement said the university would not press charges against him.
Less than a week later, the local District Attorney did try to press charges. However, the case was dropped because no one would sign a complaint. Jack Weinberg then called his friend, John Wingfield McGuire, to help organize the next steps for the movement.
Naming the Movement
The first meeting of the new student group happened on October 3. They needed a name for their organization. Many names were suggested. Jack Weinberg suggested "Free Speech Movement," and that name was chosen by just one vote.
Later, Mario Savio, another leader of the movement, said that Jack Weinberg was the main planner for the Free Speech Movement. Historian W. J. Rorabaugh called Weinberg "one of the most effective civil rights organizers." He also called him "the strategist behind FSM."
A Famous Saying
Jack Weinberg is known for a famous saying: "Don't trust anyone over 30." This phrase has different versions, like "Never trust anybody over 30." Many people think others said it, but Jack Weinberg actually coined it. He said it during an interview in November 1964. He was talking to a reporter about the Free Speech Movement.
Jack later explained what happened. He said the reporter was asking questions that made him angry. The reporter seemed to think that Communists or other secret groups were controlling the students. Jack told him, "We had a saying in the movement that we don't trust anybody over 30." He meant it as a way to tell the reporter to stop suggesting that someone else was pulling their strings.
On November 15, 1964, a newspaper printed the story. It quoted Weinberg saying, "We have a saying in the movement that you can't trust anybody over 30." The saying quickly became very popular. Reporters and writers used it to make fun of young people or the new youth movements. This annoyed Jack Weinberg. He said that he had done many important things in his life. Yet, his one famous sentence was something he said quickly that became misunderstood.
After the Free Speech Movement
After the Free Speech Movement, Jack Weinberg continued his activism. He became a leader in the Vietnam Day Committee (VDC). This group organized protests against the Vietnam War.
On October 15, 1965, the VDC held a large anti-war march. It started at the UC Berkeley campus. About 10,000 to 14,000 people joined the march. They carried signs and chanted anti-war slogans. Jack Weinberg and other leaders were in a sound truck at the front of the march. However, the City of Oakland had not given them permission to march. Oakland police blocked the street with many officers. Jack Weinberg and another leader tried to convince the police chief to let them pass. But they could not. After a big discussion, the leaders voted to turn back to Berkeley.
Jack Weinberg joined the Independent Socialist Club in 1966. He helped it grow into a national movement called the International Socialists. He was a member of their national council.
He later moved to Los Angeles. There, he worked for an underground newspaper. He also helped create the Peace and Freedom Party of California. This party worked to get on the ballot for elections. In November 1968, Jack Weinberg ran for Congress in Los Angeles.
Work in the Environmental Movement
In 1982, Jack Weinberg started working on environmental issues. He led a group of environmentalists, union members, and community people. They successfully stopped a plan to build a nuclear power plant in Indiana near Lake Michigan.
He worked for Greenpeace, a well-known environmental organization, from 1990 to 2000. After that, he worked for the Environmental Health Fund.
Today, Jack Weinberg works as a consultant. He helps groups that want to clean up environmental pollution.
Personal Life
Jack Weinberg is married to Valerie Denney. He is a grandfather of three children. He also teaches public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
