Dorothy Thomas makes her first appearance at the Tucson Holiday of Lights Parade, Dec. 2007
In the winter of 2007, I co-founded Action Down There with a group of women writers and artists in Tucson. Our aim is to bring attention to circumstances, events, and issues that are often buried or ignored. Although we celebrate the individual and the personal, we believe that a collective voice is sometimes required to remove the shrouds or turn up the volume so that important truths can be seen and heard more clearly. We are inspired by the tremendous work of Dorothy Thomas.
Our first action was infiltrating the 2007 Holiday Parade of Lights, which takes place every December in downtown Tucson. We dressed in black. Some of us wore veils. We carried illuminated shopping bags inscribed with simple messages of peace: “Touch Peace, Say Peace, Breathe Peace, Give Peace, Try Peace.” Against our wildest dreams we ended up winning Grand Marshal Award for “best overall entry.” Peace isn’t so subversive, after all. Since then, we’ve staged peace events in shopping malls, bars, and cafes. Visit www.actiondownthere.blogspot.com for Dorothy’s latest appearances.