For around 15 years, as part of the Upper School History curriculum regarding civil disobedience, Parker has brought in various speakers for the annual Henry David Thoreau Series. This year, Parker brought in Michael Gaylord James—an activist, photographer, writer, and actor to speak to the 11th grade about the story of his life and his experience with civil disobedience and activism.

After growing up in Connecticut and attending Lake Forest College and Trinity College, James worked in a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship preceding graduate work in sociology at the University of California Berkeley. At Berkeley, James became involved in the Free Speech Movement and became a member of “Students for a Democratic Society.” James taught a course at Columbia College called “Organizing for Social Change,” and founded a newspaper called “Rising Up Angry,” as well as co-hosting a radio show called “Live from the Heartland Show.”

“He was phenomenal,” Upper School history teacher Andrew Bigelow said. “I love his messaging and I love how he has lived his entire life devoted to social justice. He is truly an agent of change.”

According to Bigelow, one of the requirements to be a speaker for the Thoreau Speaker Series is that one must have been arrested for an act of civil disobedience. James has lost count of how many times he has been arrested. Despite these arrests, James’s motivation and enthusiasm have not been affected in any way. “It was never a question of not continuing,” James said. “I think those experiences just led to more.”

In 1976, James co-founded the Heartland Cafe, a restaurant which the Chicago Eater called “a community beacon of music, art, political activism, and food and drink.” After serving 43 customers on opening night, the Heartland Cafe, located in Chicago, continued to run from 1976 until spring 2019. 

“By creating that Heartland Cafe he created this space to bring all of these thinkers together to strategize and to make significant change in Chicago,” Bigelow said. “I was impressed by his candor, his dedication to his children and to his family. “

During his speech, James emphasized the importance of youth involvement. “People can make a difference,” James said. “I think one of the most important things is to get involved with your eyes open and to not get swayed too much by your initial enthusiasm.”

Junior Julia Polsky, an attendee of the presentation, was inspired by James. “It was really cool to see someone who has done so much firsthand,” Polsky said. “I think that is so cool that he is following his own passion and no one is telling him to do what he is doing, especially when his opinions may not have been popular.” 

Bigelow agrees with Polsky. “He just has no problem speaking his mind and has no problem fighting for anything,” Bigelow said.

“It’s a good message to send to Parker students because I think it’s what they teach us,” Polsky said. “But to actually have a physical manifestation of that ideal was really cool.”

James also emphasized morals that he tends to live by. “I think that you want to live by a belief that things can improve,” James said. “There’s got to be a way that you have hope even during the bad times.”