Biography
Harvey Milk was born in Woodmere, New York, a suburban community, in 1930. His childhood was happy, and Harvey was involved with many community activities. He played sports, did well in school, and developed a passion for opera. Harvey was very proud of his Jewish heritage and loved learning about the history of his people.
After graduating from college, Harvey decided to join the Navy. He worked on a submarine and as a diving instructor. When he left the Navy, he moved back to New York, where he met and fell in love with a man.
During that time, most people did not understand homosexuality. Medical professionals incorrectly believed the idea that homosexuality was a mental illness. Even though Harvey and his partner found some places where their love was accepted, it was hard to be openly gay in America. Circumstances were hard on their relationship. They ultimately separated after six years.
Everywhere Harvey looked, he saw people like him suffering from depression and grief. He tried to balance his romantic life the best he could, but he did not think he should have to keep his professional, family, and love lives separate. He wanted the freedom to live without shame and secrecy.
In 1969, Harvey decided to join the growing migration of LGBTQ folks who were moving to the Castro District in San Francisco, California. Life in the Castro was a little better for Harvey, who found community support from people who shared his views that love should not be restricted by gender. He liked being part of his new community, who came together to advocate for their rights.
Harvey soon decided to become involved in politics. He wanted to do his part in fighting discrimination—unfair treatment of one person or group of people. Discrimination is often because of a person’s sex, religion, nationality, ethnicity, race, or other personal traits. In Harvey’s case, he saw people in his community being denied equal treatment, simply because of who they loved.
Harvey realized that people needed a leader. He ran three times for the position of city supervisor, but lost twice before he won. He was still learning how to share his message and earn voter support. However, Harvey never gave up on what he believed in. Harvey spoke up for the rights of people who were often ignored: African Americans, Asian Americans, people who had non-traditional relationships, and people who had disabilities.
More and more, people started to like Harvey’s ideas of equality and understand his idea of love. Finally, in 1973, he was elected to office!
He was a natural politician, though non traditional. Instead of relying on expensive campaigns and grand platforms, Harvey kept things simple. His goals were to reduce the influence of money in politics and give neighborhoods more control over their own issues and power at the ballot. He believed that the government should not have a say in people’s private, romantic lives and that folks should have the right to decide for themselves how they want to live.
People believed in his platform. Soon, Harvey was known affectionately as “The Mayor of Castro Street.” After a few years of city supervisor, Harvey was elected for a bigger role – a seat on the San Francisco City-County Board. The timing was perfect. The mayor of San Francisco, George Moscone, supported Harvey’s ideas; together they appointed openly homosexual people to political office. This provided representation for members of the San Francisco community who had been overlooked in the past.
Tragically, some people disagreed with Harvey and his ideas. In 1978, Harvey and the mayor were shot and killed, or assassinated, by the man who had lost to Moscone in the mayoral race. His name was Dan White. He was a Vietnam War veteran who was troubled by what he considered to be a “breakdown” of traditional values. Sadly, he believed he was protecting love by shooting Harvey and Mayor Moscone. He was charged with voluntary manslaughter, and he was sent to jail for seven years. His sentence was later reduced to only five years. He was released in 1983, but committed suicide two years later.
Today people still remember Harvey as someone who stood up for others and made sure all voices were heard. Harvey believed that one person could make a difference in the life of others, and that nonviolent movements and political organizing could make big changes.
Learning Activity
Download Activity Document
Am I Represented?
Subject(s): Social Studies, Civics
This activity could compliment lessons based on the following, and other, Common Core Standards:
- UT Standard 5.5: Students will research issues of civic importance in which city, county, tribal, or state governments have a role. Students will use their research to develop and write a policy proposal to the appropriate governmental entity, such as a board, commission, council, legislator, or agency. (civics)
- U.S. GOV Standard 3.1: Students will explain the distribution of power among national, state, tribal, and local governments in order to identify how needs are met by governance systems.
- U.S. GOV Standard 3.2: Students will explain the role that local elected officers fulfill, such as mayors, council members, auditors, treasurers, surveyors, assessors, recorders, clerks, sheriffs, county commissioners, and district or county attorneys and how local government roles differ from state and federal roles.
- U.S. GOV Standard 3.3: Students will explain the processes and motivations for how and why people organize to participate in civic society, such as developing political affiliations, joining political parties, and supporting special interest groups and other non-governmental or non-partisan civic organizations, and evaluate the political impact of those affiliations.
Objective: Students will learn about the elective process and research their local representatives. They will identify distribution of governmental power and the importance of representation in local government. They will evaluate their local representation. Students will then imagine their role as elected officials.
Materials Needed: List of local elected representatives
Intro / Warm Up:
Tell students that Harvey Milk tried three times to be elected. On the third time, he finally won, but he had to earn the support of the public and understand the needs of his community first.
Ideally, in a representative democracy, the people in office represent the people of their district. Harvey chose to represent the Castro district because he felt like the people in charge did not have his community’s best interests in mind.
In groups, have students discuss the following questions:
- What are some issues that are important to you?
- What issues are important to your family?
- What issues are important to people who live in your town, but have different beliefs than you?
- Why is it important for elected officials to think about their constituents’ needs?
Dive In:
Give students a list of their local elected officials. Assign each student and/or group one of the officials to research. Using a variety of sources, ask students to research the issues on that representative’s platform. Give students 20 minutes or so to conduct their research.
Then, using a graphic organizer to record, discuss each candidate’s platform on a graphic organizer.
In groups, have students discuss the following questions:
- Which representative is most concerned with your needs?
- What values and/or issues do the representatives have in common? In what areas do their platforms differ?
- Which official do you think represents their community’s issues the most? Why?
BREAK OUT! Extending Activity
- Ask students to identify which public office they would run for. Ask them to develop a plan to prepare for that office starting with leadership positions at school.
- Have each student write a letter to the elected official. Have them ask:
- Where are they from and what made them want to become an elected official?
- What is the best or worst part of the job?
- Why did they choose to run for an office?
- Why that office?
Additional Media / Materials:
