The loss of a legend. That is what we are experiencing here and now with the death of my father, Art Pearl. You see people will say...they are saying, that he lived a long life. He did. The length of his life combined with the intention, devotion, impact and consistent leadership and accountability is what makes his value as a human beyond measure. He knew things, he had seen things that none of us had. His parents were immigrants, he grew up poor, he was a hard working longshoreman and he was aware all along of what plagued this world. He became well educated, well read, well written and beyond influential to those around him. His comprehension of the problems and solutions of the world far surpassed anyone else I have known, read the work of or listened to. He could engaged in dialogue with those who disagreed with him and show them genuine love and kindness while telling them the truth. He was diplomatic, yet forceful, bold and brave. The world lost that when we lost my dad. It is now time for those of us who have known, loved, learned from and benefited from his life to step up to the plate. The time for waiting for someone else to fix the fascist nation we have allowed ourselves to become is gone...to be honest, it never existed. We allowed this to happen and now we rely on things like hopes and prayers and convenience to fix it...Convenience is a term of the past. It never should have been an option at all. As I pour over my dad's work and wisdom, I offer anyone to join me. I will not allow my dad's legacy to die with him. He sacrificed it all for each of you and he expected you to carry that on. He was worried about it every minute of his last days. Let's work together to allow him to truly rest in peace....Thank you.

Comments

Melissa said…
I am so grateful to have known your father, even if for a brief time, and am so sorry for your loss. I will honor his memory by reading this blog and referring to him often as we release our film, INVISIBLE HAND, in which he appears with both sage wisdom and a twinkling eye.
August 23, 2018 at 9:08 PM
Joe Lockard said…
I listened to Art Pearl on 2-3 occasions at UC Santa Cruz when he was provost of then-College Eight and I was a student. As I look around for thinkers on democracy & education, visiting with this blog is quite useful. Also interesting that he came to teach in prisons, which I have done for years. Prison teaching underlines the critical connections between democracy, social opportunity, and education. My regrets for the loss of your father. His work lives. -- Joe Lockard / Arizona State University
October 29, 2019 at 9:57 PM
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