larry lattimore ¡presente!

the memorial service for larry lattimore was this past saturday afternoon. it was a beautiful & fitting tribute for a man like that, a working class hero, a beloved compañero. held at grace tabernacle in the bayview, the last surviving black neighborhood in san francisco, the officiating pastor wore a keffiyeh around his shoulders, played the saxophone, and spoke of larry as a fierce warrior in the fight against the ruling class. at them marches in the street, he called, when larry would roar, you just knew the enemy was backing up! ..amen! people called back. they talked about the times larry put himself in front of the police line, the way he would watch out for people's kids, his love for the grito ¡si se puede!, his relentless fight for a living wage for all workers.



larry was a lead member at p.o.w.e.r./people organized to win employment rights for the better part of 11 years. he was a workfare worker who organized fellow g.a. recipients to fight for their rights as low-wage laborers. he confronted evil real estate developers trying to steal the bayview from its residents. he stood with immigrant women workers against state repression & poor working conditions. he was the campaign co-director of the sf living wage coalition which won for san francisco the 2nd highest minimum wage in the entire united states.

larry is loved. he is missed. ¡larry vive vive! ¡la lucha sigue sigue!

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these songs are from the mixed cd that was given as a recuerdo at the memorial...

move on up : curtis mayfield



for god's sake (give more power to the people) : the chi-lites



i shall be released : nina simone