Gene and Bernie/Bernie and Gene

 Debs and Bernie/Bernie and Debs

On Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, Senator Bernie Sanders received the prestigious Debs Foundation Award before an enthusiastic crowd of 700+. His acceptance speech (I’m hoping it will soon be edited and published by the Foundation and/or his Senate office. It deserves wide circulation.) was strong on the influence and vision of Terre Haute’s most famous historical figure, Eugene Victor Debs.

I grew up and worked for a number of years in Chicago, including those years in the 1960s so filled with challenges to the racism embedded in the laws and life of the city I loved. Senator Sanders modestly omitted his part in the demanding struggles of the 1960's.

Instead, Bernie’s speech reminded us of how Debs fought for workers (nearly all of us) and humanity (definitely all of us) over 100 years ago. He left out the story of Bernie, a young U. Of Chicago student in 1962, was fighting for that humanity over 62 years ago.

So this is what caught my ear and heart. It was the brief mention of Debs’ support of Black workers. And Bernie fights on. He fights for Black, white, immigrant workers-- for humanity.

We should all be supportive in any we can.

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Look closely at the Danny Lyon photos below. Recognize anyone? Well, if you don’t, your not alone.

The first and second are photos of Bernie Sanders as a student in the University of Chicago in 1962. He was a member of the famous Civil Rights organization, CORE (Congress of Racial Equality, f. 1942). Sanders headed a committee that confronted the university administration over its segregated housing policy. This is often cited as the first sit-in to occur in a northern university as part of the Civil Rights Movement. The demonstration was organized in opposition to housing segregation at the university. Chicago, USA. January, 1962. © Danny Lyon | Magnum Photos

The third photo is of University of Chicago president Dr. George Beadle (left) and Bernie Sanders (right) during during the settlement of the CORE protests, when the University gave in to most of the demands of the demonstrators at the University of Chicago.

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