Tag Archives: This Land is Your Land

Celebrate Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday with one of our favorite books

Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is Your Land” Illustrated by Kathy JakobsenFor Woody Guthries’s 100th birthday.  The children’s book “This Land Is Your Land” first appeared in 1998, and has since been updated with a special edition. The book has bright, folk art style illustrations by Kathy Jakobsen which bring Woody Guthrie’s classic song to life. It includes interesting details such as: a scene with a soup kitchen in a poor neighborhood; images of Woody Guthrie playing guitar with friends; and depictions of picnics and sing-a-longs in various regions of the USA. There is also a tribute to Woody Guthrie written by his friend Pete Seeger.

Every page will stimulate discussion about how things were and are around America, as well as the lessons and culture of Occupy Wall Street. And, your child will become familiarized with a song that has been sung over and over again — with old and new verses — at Liberty Square and many other occupations.

“This Land Is Your Land” is truly beautiful, fun, and thoughtful. It is a great book to use to explain to children ideas such as economic hard times, the joy and power of community, and the focus of Occupy Wall Street.  Continue reading Celebrate Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday with one of our favorite books

America already has a new national anthem: Bruce Springsteen sings “This Land is Your Land”

Note to “60 Minutes” and “Vanity Fair”: No need for a poll. America already has a new national anthem. It’s “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie.

Susanna, Duchess of Peace, writes:

The mainstream media is posting everywhere that America needs a new national anthem, instead of “Star Spangled Banner”. Though, America has had a new national anthem, for decades. Continue reading America already has a new national anthem: Bruce Springsteen sings “This Land is Your Land”

Come back Woody Guthrie: Peace Song for 11/23/2011

Christmas in Washington by Steve Earle is the Peace Song of the Day for November 23rd. (Thanks to Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! for this idea.)
Continue reading Come back Woody Guthrie: Peace Song for 11/23/2011

Video: Explaining Occupy Wall Street to children

For a children’s BOOK idea, see below, or click to our recommendation: here.
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The video below is a wonderful way to explain Occupy Wall Street, and all of the occupations around the country, to children. A parent asked some of the occupiers to describe Occupy Wall Street to their six-year-old daughter.

More about the video: Continue reading Video: Explaining Occupy Wall Street to children

This Land is Your Land: Peace Song for 9/26/2011

“This Land is Your Land” is the Peace Song of the Day for Monday, September 26th. The song was written by Woody Guthrie.

This song has also become a favorite of the Occupy Movement. It’s been sung a lot at Occupy Wall Street in NYC (see story: here) They also sang it at Occupy Albany (see the video: here), at Occupy Burlington (see the video: here), and many other occupations.

“This Land is Your Land” has become a true folk song, with many verses. You can find extensive lyrics in the Rise Up Singing songbook, on page 5. Though, don’t hesitate to make up your own words. In the video below, Father Bill Brisotti adds one verse about unjustly pushing Native Americans on to reservations, and another verse that asserts, “This land is your land. This land is my land. It’s not the bank’s land…”

More about this choice: Continue reading This Land is Your Land: Peace Song for 9/26/2011