The life story of George Lakey is a chronicle of activism, nonviolent protest and academic leadership, all inextricably entwined with his commitment to peace and social change.
Lakey walked countless picket lines and has been arrested dozens of times. He led workshops and also co-founded a nonprofit with a mission dedicated to battling climate change.
On Saturday, May 10, the Ambler Theater will be the backdrop of another milestone in the life of Lakey when “Citizen George,” a documentary about the 87-year-old Quaker activist, writer, and Swarthmore professor, is screened in a program that starts at 11 a.m. Lakey will attend the screening and participate in a discussion about the film.
Animation meets documentary
Directed by documentarian Glenn Holsten, “Citizen George,” which won honorable mention in the Best Filmadelphia Feature category at the 2024 Philadelphia Film Festival, moves back and forth in time using animation in combination with filmed footage. Holsten’s documentary highlights Lakey’s fight for civil rights, protests of the Vietnam War, and demonstrations on behalf of LGBT+ rights, human rights, and the environment. In addition to detailing his life as an activist, “Citizen George” follows Lakey’s personal journey as a husband, father, and gay man.
Carol Shearon, a member of Gwynedd Friends meeting who watched a screening of the film and vowed to help it find wider release, told the Local, “As a young man aware of the U.S. bombing of Vietnam, killing and leaving injured hundreds of thousands of people, George helped organize a sailing ship that broke through the U.S. blockade with medical supplies and joined the crew for one of the voyages.
“He has spent his life in activism to bring about racial and sexual equality and earth justice. Then, in what most people would consider retirement age, he discovered that PNC, a bank founded by Quakers, was invested in companies doing mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. Working with dedicated volunteers of EQAT (Earth Quaker Action Team), a nonprofit he cofounded, that policy was stopped. At age 87, he has no intention of retiring, even if he has to protest from a wheelchair.”
Lakey, of West Philadelphia, was born north of Allentown in Bangor, Pennsylvania. He has been involved in direct action campaigns for over six decades. Recently retired from Swarthmore College, he was first arrested during the Civil Rights Movement. His longest stay in jail lasted three weeks. He has facilitated 1,500 workshops on five continents. His 10 books and many articles reflect his social research into change on local and societal levels. His latest book is the memoir, “Dancing with History: A Life for Peace and Justice.”
Spreading the word
“At age 12, George gave a sermon in church,” Heather O'Malley, another member of Gwynedd Friends impressed by the film, said. “His first arrest was in 1963 in Pennsylvania. At age 83, he was arrested at a climate justice protest in Philly. In the poster for the movie, you see his huge smile even while he is being arrested. He is filled with joy and the spirit of love and compassion. The other side has no way to combat that.
“When we saw the movie, we realized it needs a much larger audience than just Quakers,” O'Malley said. “So, I called the Ambler Theater and spoke to [Programming Coordinator] Shannon Quinty, who watched the film and liked it and said we could use the theater, which is nonprofit, to show it. We put posters in libraries and are using social media and the Wissahickon faith community to get the word out.”
The filmmakers hope the documentary will be picked up by a streaming service, screened at other independent movie theaters, and as part of special events hosted by nonprofits, Quaker groups, and other organizations.
“We are primarily interested in encouraging hope and coalition building,” Shearon said. “Working for change within a framework of hopelessness or anger can be discouraging and draining. On the other hand, reaching out to friends and neighbors and strangers from a place of gratitude, compassion and joy is enlivening and promotes connection. From that connection, coalitions can be forged which have power that is positive and creative.”
Admission to see “Citizen George” will be $5 for Ambler Theater members, $8 for nonmembers. For more information, visit amblertheater.org or call 215-345-7855. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
