by Susan Falkoff, Progressive Watertown
Progressive Watertown was proud to sponsor a screening of the film “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty” on October 10. This film tells the inspiring story of Stewart Udall (1920-2010), Interior Secretary under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and his legacy as an advocate of social and environmental justice.
Udall was a pioneer in environmentalism. The film reveals a time when big ideas could still capture bipartisan attention, and when America awakened to the unfolding destruction of paradise and determined to stop it. He was the first public official to speak out about global warming. In addition, he worked collaboratively with Native communities and fought to win compensation for Navajo Indians and “downwinders” who got cancer from their exposure to radiation during the Cold War without being warned of the dangers. His brother, Senator Mo Udall, was an early critic of the Vietnam War, and Stewart faced the agonizing choice of speaking out and losing his role in the Johnson administration or keeping quiet about the war and continuing his important work as Interior Secretary, an extreme of the kind of heartbreaking moral dilemma that is familiar to anyone who has served as a public official.
Thirty people attended the screening and participated in a lively discussion afterwards. Watertown Faces Climate Change and Race Reels, a local program that shows films related to diversity and social justice, cosponsored. It was a timely event, celebrating both Udall’s work with Indigenous people and why it matters to elect progressive politicians who will facilitate social justice and environmental protection. Those of us who lived through these turbulent years recalled our history of activism but know that striving for environmental justice is ongoing. We want to make the film available to younger audiences as well and will donate the DVD to Watertown High School for future showings.
