When Lee faced brutal attacks for her vote in 2001, celebrity activists like Alice Walker, Joan Baez, and Danny Glover organized a rally of thousands of supporters at Oakland’s Frank Ogawa Plaza. Most audience members at the Grand Lake clapped and cheered in the scenes depicting moral victories as well as the heartfelt, reciprocal relationship Lee shared with her constituents at that time. Bush to launch the war with Iraq in 2002 and that Lee has campaigned to repeal it every year since is a civics lesson in endurance. The fact that another similar resolution passed the following year in enabling President George W.
Watching Civil Rights icon John Lewis say that he initially worried Lee had ended her career with the no vote, only to admit regretting his own vote decades later, is bittersweet (especially considering the long-serving Congressman passed away last year). She shared that she knew she would vote no on the resolution during the service when a member of the clergy urged, “As we act, let us not become the evil that we deplore.” Lee famously repeated that plea when she cast her vote.įor Bay Area anti-war activists who marched during that era, the film’s trip down memory lane may feel extremely validating, infuriating, or both. Clips of some of the war-mongering speeches were followed by Lee commenting how the vengeful tone of the service did not solemnly honor the lives lost. The film also included footage of the 9/11 victims’ memorial service that took place the day prior to the vote. Watching the film’s footage of Lee choking back tears of grief as she casts her vote still feels raw after all these years, especially considering the cousin of her Chief of Staff, Sandré Swanson, died on United flight 93.
On September 14, 2001, Lee’s political fame crystalized for most people when she cast the sole vote against Authorization for Use of Military Force of 2001, which grants the President power to go to war without congressional approval. Anchored in the Wake of the 9/11 Terror Attacks Colleagues and acquaintences cautiously reconnected as they tried to recognize each other’s covered faces. Some guests huddled for photographers in the theater lobby. The fully masked crowd was a mix of constituents and celebrities, some dressed casually while others got fancy for the red carpet. Local leaders of culture, small business, and government were in attendance. The atmosphere inside the theater felt as festive as possible, given the worrying spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Lee’s constituents feel their influence on her actions hence the bumpersticker, “BARBARA LEE SPEAKS FOR ME.” Director Abby Ginzberg’s new documentary beautifully captures how Lee’s legacy is deeply rooted in our region’s unique political landscape. It reinforced why Barbara Lee is loved by her district. Because a Bay Area celebration of one of the most progressive members of Congress should naturally include grizzled activists with clipboards, tote bags, and a list of additional demands. Moviegoers waiting to enter the box office doors were approached by a handful of protestors who passed out literature. The scene outside the Grand Lake Theatre before the premiere screening of Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power ” was so Oakland.
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