Saving the World from Nuclear War: The June 12, 1982, Disarmament Rally and Beyond

Examines how the June 12, 1982, rally for nuclear disarmament paved the way for a new generation of activists.

On June 12, 1982, one million people filled the streets of New York City and rallied in Central Park to show support for the United Nations' Second Special Session on Disarmament. They demanded an end to the nuclear arms race and called for a shift from military funds to money allocated for human needs. In Saving the World from Nuclear War, Vincent J. Intondi draws on archival materials and interviews with rally organizers and activists in Central Park to explore this demonstration from its inception through the months of organizing, recruiting, and planning, to the historic day itself.

Vincent J. Intondi is a professor of history and the director of the Institute for Race, Justice, and Civic Engagement at Montgomery College. He is the author of African Americans Against the Bomb: Nuclear Weapons, Colonialism, and the Black Freedom Movement.