Interview with William Bill Southwick

Length: 50 minutes Interview with William Southwick by Nancy Salto Rev. Southwick begins by recalling the start of his activism work, running Northside Cooperative Ministry coffeehouse while serving as a minister. He explains how he first became involved in the anti-war protests through acquaintances in the Japanese-American community. He recalls the impact that both the DNC and Dr. King’s assassination had on Chicago and the effect it had on the more militant elements in the movement, like the Weather Underground. He compares the student protests in Chicago to other demonstrations and anti-war movements around the country. He describes the kind of surveillance he and other activist clergy were subjected to by the FBI and Red Squad prior to the DNC. He details the night of the DNC demonstrations, the police violence, and providing aid to the beaten protesters at his “triage” center. He recalls his later work providing substance abuse treatment through the YMCA. He concludes by reflecting on the aftermath of 1968 and the parallels between those events and today