Harvey Milk was one of the first openly and politically gay public officials in the United States, and his remarkable activism put him at the very heart of a pivotal civil rights movement reshaping America in the 1970s. An Archive of Hope is Milk in his own words, bringing together in one volume a substantial collection of his speeches, columns, editorials, political campaign materials, open letters, and press releases, culled from public archives, newspapers, and personal collections.
The volume opens with a foreword from Milk's friend, political advisor, and speech writer Frank Robinson, who remembers the man who "started as a Goldwater Republican and ended his life as the last of the store front politicians" who aimed to "give 'em hope" in his speeches. An illuminating introduction traces GLBTQ politics in San Francisco, situates Milk within that context, and elaborates the significance of his discourse and memories both to 1970s-era gay rights efforts and contemporary GLBTQ worldmaking.
"An Archive of Hope is an extremely important, timely, and significant book. It brings together in a singular volume a substantial body of Harvey Milk's political discourse including speeches, editorials, political campaign materials, and public debate that are not readily available to the public. Full of inspiration and hope, this book is highly relevant to anyone interested in activism, politics, and social change." -Gust A. Yep, Professor of Communication Studies, San Francisco State University; Recipient of the Randy Majors Memorial Award for Outstanding Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Scholarship in Communication, National Communication Association
"I was lucky enough to hear Harvey speak and through some unexpected alchemy every piece printed here sounds just like him, so you can hear him speak too. Equally amazing is that this self-made, store-front politician thought about more than his city or gay rights. His longer views on issues of national political life in this book form a philosophy as relevant today as they were decades ago. Clearly an essential addition to GLBT studies--every library needs this wonderful collection."-Felice Picano, author of Art and Sex in Greenwich Village and Like People in History
"An Archive of Hope is a remarkable contribution to GLBTQ history and the ways in which that history might shape our presents and futures."
