It was a loving but critical memoir of Detroit in the 1950-60s when it had the highest standard of any American metropolis. “His most recent book was My Detroit: Growing Up Greek and American in Motor City. “He was the Director of the Greek American Studies Project at the Center for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of Queens College, the editor of the Journal of Contemporary Hellenic Issues and was a biweekly columnist for The National Herald,” Katsos noted. Dan had long served on the editorial board of Cineaste magazine and specialized in Latin American cinema.” In the late 1980s, Dan began co-writing the Encyclopedia of the American Left (1990, 1998) with Mari Jo Buhle and husband Paul Buhle. In 1966, he and painter Ben Morea helped found the well-known Anarchist group Up Against the Wall MF affiliated with New York City’s Lower East Side. “He best known to some for the publication Detroit: I Do Mind Dying: A Study in Urban Revolution (1975), which documents African-American radical groups in Detroit during the 1960s and 1970s. “Dan Georgakas (1938- 2021) was an American anarchist, poet and historian, who specialized in oral history and the American labor movement,” he continued. “Although it is impossible to fully describe his accomplishments in so many fields as an author, editor, historian, journalist, college professor, film festival organizer, and many other things, our panelists who knew him well on a personal level, and in different ways, will discuss this great man from their perspectives,” Katsos said. Video of that panel is available on YouTube.

“At EMBCA, we were honored to have him in our panel discussion last year titled The Hellenic Revolution, its Effects on the American Abolitionist Movement, and Beyond.” “Dan Georgakas’ passing on Novemwas a tremendous loss to the Hellenic as well as the greater American community,” Katsos said via email. The distinguished panel, in formation, will include Professor Alexander Kitroeff of Haverford College author, historian and activist Herb Boyd, Professor of the Black Studies Program at the City College of New York, CUNY author and poet Nicholas Alexiou, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College and historian, educator, and author Constantine Hatzidimitriou. The panel will be introduced and moderated by Lou Katsos, EMBCA’s President. NEW YORK – The Eastern Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance (EMBCA) presents The Life and Times of Dan Georgakas Zoom webinar panel discussion on Sunday, April 10, 2 PM ET/ 9 PM Athens.

Detroit by Dan Georgakas