A series of oral histories on Olelo, the Oahu community TV station, continues Nov. 5 with Kalani Ohelo.
The series is about “the beginning of the revolutionary movement in contemporary Hawaii.”
So far, it has featured Larry Kamakawio‘ole, Gwen Kim and Puhi resident Ray Catania.
A bit of background, according to a flier:
On May 11, 1971, 32 Hawaii resident and activists were arrested and removed from the roof of pig farmer George Santos’s home in Kalama Valley, a rural area east of Honolulu. They were fighting the eviction of farmers and working people off land owned by the Bishop Estate, the largest private landowner in Hawaii.
The act of resistance by these residents and activists would forever change the political consciousness of the Hawaiian Islands.
“This was the first time that an organized land struggle was popularized and gained wide support from the community-at-large,” the flier said.
The unity of the young activists with the residents and their conscious resistance set the tone of the many anti-eviction, working-class and Hawaiian-sovereignty struggles that erupted over the entire Hawaiian landscape.
The year 2020 is the 50th anniversary of the Kalama Valley struggle.
“This series of oral histories attempts to bring critical attention to this historic resistance to injustice. It aims to preserve and spread the lessons of this militant action for future generations,” the release said.
Twelve activists from the Kalama Valley struggle were interviewed in the span of March 2017 to April 2018.
“Their oral histories tell the beginning of the revolutionary movement in contemporary Hawaii,” the release said.
The story of Claire Shimabukuro will be aired Dec. 3.
Shows are 6 p.m. and reruns are Sundays at 3 p.m.
This program is supported by grants from The Ah Quon McElrath Award for Economic and Social Justice and The Hawaii Council for the Humanities, and by in-kind support from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and Olelo Community TV.
