BY THOMAS O’CONNELL
Larry Olds died peacefully at home on Oct. 13, and Minneapolis lost a great educator for social justice. A Powderhorn resident since 1974, Larry was one of this country’s strongest proponents of popular education, an approach made famous by the radical Brazilian educator Paulo Freire, author of “Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” Popular education is a democratic, participatory approach to education that moves from personal story to shared experience and collective understanding.
Larry’s journey as a popular educator began in 1961 when he joined the Teachers for East Africa program in Uganda. His experience made a big impact on me, a working class kid from the Baudette area along the Canadian border in northern Minnesota. Over the next decade, Larry searched for ways to connect his commitment to social change with his vocation as educator. He was deeply involved with the alternative school movement of the 1970s, the emerging feminist critique of education and creative efforts to transform teacher education.
In 1974, Larry began his career at what is now Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He found his largely working-class students open to a popular education approach. Looking back on his time at MCTC he wrote: “I was often surprised how progressive, how radical, the students were. It caught me up short, it always gave me hope. And I always had to remind myself that it shouldn’t be a surprise given the class background and life experiences of most who enrolled.”
Larry believed that professors should “profess” and be clear about where they stand on the great issues of the day while creating space for students to explore their own beliefs. “I often asked myself if the participants in my classes felt propagandized. I am quite certain some students did feel that way. I am equally certain most did not.”
He was a leading member of The North American Alliance for Popular and Adult Education and maintained strong relationships with participatory educators from around the world. He founded and edited “the Popular Education News,” an online newsletter with a wide global readership.
He teamed up with the Headwaters Foundation to create a popular education fund to support a new generation of popular educators.
Perhaps his greatest impact, however, took place right at home. Larry’s house on the southeast corner of Powderhorn Park was a gathering place for artists and activists young and old. Larry loved hosting politically inspired folk singers and musicians for informal concerts in his living room. But most of all, he loved to combine old-fashioned hospitality with inspired conversation.
There will be public celebration of Larry’s life on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2 to 5 p.m. at 4200 Cedar Ave. S.
Larry’s family requests that instead of flowers, people should send memorial gifts to Headwaters.
Headwaters Foundation for Justice
Larry Olds Popular
Education Fund
2801 21st Ave. S., Suite 132B
Minneapolis, MN 55407
Or online at www.headwatersfoundation.org/give. Select from drop-down menu: Larry Olds Popular Education Fund.
