Event image

Apr 5th, 2017

Bill Ayers / Demand the Impossible!

Join us as we welcome Bill Ayers, here on a national tour to celebrate the release of his latest book, Demand the Impossible!: A Radical Manifesto. This event will be co-sponsored and hosted by our friends at Rainbow Community School.

In an era defined by mass incarceration, endless war, economic crisis, catastrophic environmental destruction, and a political system offering more of the same, radical social transformation has never been more urgent. We must imagine a world beyond what this rotten system would have us believe is possible.

In critiquing the world around us, Ayers uncovers cracks in the system, raising our sights for radical change, and envisioning strategies for building a movement to create a more humane, balanced, and peaceful world.

Bill Ayers is a social justice activist, teacher, Distinguished Professor of Education (retired) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and author of two memoirs, Fugitive Days and Public Enemy.

In anticipation of a large crowd, this presentation will be taking place in the Rainbow auditorium at 60 State Street, a block from Firestorm!

"For Bill Ayers, it is the freedom of our collective imagination that links the contemporary world—ensconced as it is in pervasive militarism, racist violence, and environmental devastation—to the flourishing of our planet. This is a manifesto that should be read by everyone who wants to believe that “another world is possible.” — Angela Y. Davis, author of Abolition Democracy and Freedom is a Constant Struggle

"With huge numbers of us recognizing the need for transformative change, this ambitious and exuberant book perfectly matches its historical moment. Ayers fearlessly confronts the intersecting crises of our age—endless war, surging inequality, unchecked white supremacy and perilous planetary warming—while mapping emancipatory new possibilities. From the first page, his courage is contagious." — Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything and The Shock Doctrine

"Demand the Impossible is more than a book, more than a manifesto. It is a torch. Bill Ayers’ vision for a humane future is incendiary—fire that incinerates old logics and illuminates new paths. If we do not end the violence of militarism, materialism, caging, dispossession, debt, want, ignorance, and global warming, our very survival is impossible. Read aloud." — Robin D. G. Kelley, author of Freedom Dreams

To increase accessibility for high risk community members, Firestorm requires masking at all indoor events. Learn more

More Events

Community events at our co-op are made possible by generous contributions from our supporters. Click here to learn how you can become a Firestorm Community Sustainer!