No. 833 Michael Wilson, 2011

File — Box: 76, Folder: 2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Over two interviews Michael Wilson, born in Idaho Falls and raised in Indiana and Vermont, discusses his time in the Occupy Salt Lake City movement and shares his thoughts on the movement’s growth, challenges and future. Involved by the second week of the protest, Michael, a Westminster College sociology graduate and self-described “hopeful anarchical syndicalist,” volunteered in the kitchen and did media outreach, camping sometimes while maintaining a job. He describes the general assembly, the formal consensus model, and emphasizes the importance of respect for others and building community rather than simply “getting things done.” While he identifies several tensions including what he sees as a spurious camper-non camper divide among the Occupiers, he emphasizes Pioneer Park’s role as an important access point for informal information nets and spends time commenting on the remarkable unity between Mormons and non-Mormons in the movement.
Project: Occupy Salt Lake oral history project.
Interviewer: Anna Thompson

Dates

2011

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.