VIDEO: Chris Hedges on Teaching in Prison and Learning ‘What It Means to Resist’
In this clip from his June 7 talk in Los Angeles, Truthdig columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges tells the very personal story of how teaching a class in a maximum security prison gave him deeper insights into what it means to stand up against injustice.
In this clip from his June 7 talk in Los Angeles, Truthdig columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner Chris Hedges tells the very personal story of how teaching a class in a maximum security prison gave him deeper insights into what it means to stand up against injustice.
“I teach in a prison, and my students have taught me what it is to resist,” Hedges, the author of “Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt,” explains. “I’ve taught at some of the most elite universities in this country. Princeton. Columbia. New York University. And I have found more brilliance, more passion for the life of the mind, more integrity in those prison classrooms than in any of those elite schools.
“Because learning for them is not about a career,” Hedges continues. “It’s not about networking. Many of them know they will die in prison. It is about understanding the world around them. Understanding structures of power and understanding how to resist.”
Truthdig is pleased to announce the upcoming DVD release of Hedges’ complete talk about his latest work: “The Wages of Rebellion: The Moral Imperative of Revolt.” The DVD will also include a moderated discussion by Truthdig columnist and “Uprising” host Sonali Kolhatkar.
–Posted by Jenna Berbeo
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