Making History / Making Blintzes: How Two Red Diaper Babies Found Each Other and Discovered America

Making History/Making Blintzes chronicles the political and personal lives of Richard (Dick) and Miriam (Mickey) Flacks, two of the founders of SDS, and their lifelong commitment to social activism. Their personal experiences as "Red Diaper babies" in 1950s New York City, using folk music as self-expression, and making blintzes for their family form the backdrop of their commitment to making history.

Format: Hardback
Length: 452 pages
Publication date: 30 October 2018
Publisher: Rutgers University Press

Making History/Making Blintzes chronicles the political and personal lives of progressive activists Richard (Dick) and Miriam (Mickey) Flacks, two of the founders of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). As active members of the Civil Rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement in the 1960s, and leaders in today's social movements, their stories are a firsthand account of progressive American activism from the 1960s to the present.

Throughout this memoir, the couple demonstrates that their lifelong commitment to making history through social activism cannot be understood without returning to the deeply personal context of their family history—of growing up "Red Diaper babies" in 1950s New York City, using folk music as self-expression as adolescents in the 1960s, and of making blintzes for their own family through the 1970s and 1980s. As the children of immigrants and first-generation Jews, Dick and Mickey crafted their own religious identity as secular Jews, created a critical space for American progressive activism through SDS, and ultimately found themselves raising an "American" family.

Richard (Dick) Flacks was born in 1932 in New York City, the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants. He grew up in a working-class family and was exposed to the struggles of the working class throughout his childhood. Dick was a talented musician and played the guitar and the piano, and he was also a passionate reader and a keen observer of the world around him.

Miriam (Mickey) Flacks was born in 1934 in New York City, the daughter of Polish-Jewish immigrants. She grew up in a similar working-class family and was also exposed to the struggles of the working class throughout her childhood. Mickey was a talented artist and painter, and she was also a passionate activist and a strong believer in social justice.

Dick and Mickey met in high school and fell in love. They were both involved in the Civil Rights movement and the anti-Vietnam War movement, and they became leaders in SDS. They were arrested multiple times for their activism, and they spent time in jail.

Despite the challenges they faced, Dick and Mickey remained committed to their activism. They continued to work for social justice and to fight for the rights of the working class and the oppressed. They also continued to make blintzes for their own family, which was a tradition that had been passed down from their ancestors.

Making History/Making Blintzes is a powerful memoir that tells the story of Dick and Mickey Flacks and their lifelong commitment to making history through social activism. It is a testament to the power of love, commitment, and perseverance, and it is a reminder of the importance of fighting for social justice and the importance of creating a better world for all.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780813589220