Michael Patrick MacDonald (born March 9, 1966) is an Irish American activist and author specialising in crime and violence. Mcdonald also the authored of a bestselling memoir.[1] his memoir, All Souls: A Family Story From Southie, combines his heritage with his passion for the anti-violence movement. MacDonald helped start Boston's gun-buyback program and founded the South Boston Vigil group, a local community group that works to honor Southie's victims of gun violence.[2]
In 1999, he received the Daily Point of Light Award, which honors people who connect Americans through community service. MacDonald has also been awarded an Anne Cox Chambers Fellowship award at the MacDowell Colony, a Bellagio Center Fellowship through the Rockefeller Foundation, and residencies at the Blue Mountain Center and Djerassi Artists Residency Program. He received the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey for his courage and committed efforts to stem the tide of inner city violence through the establishment of the gun-buyback program in Boston.
As of MacDonald lives in Brooklyn, New York and devotes his time to writing and public speaking on topics ranging from "Race and Class in America" to "Trauma, Healing, and Social Change." MacDonald is also a writer in Residence at Northeastern University in Boston.
MacDonald has also been involved in various social justice initiatives and educational programs. He regularly collaborates with community organizations to address issues related to systemic violence and socioeconomic disparities. His work includes developing "The Rest of the Story," a trauma-informed writing curriculum that has been implemented in diverse settings, including prisons, poverty alleviation programs, and survivor groups. This curriculum aims to transform personal trauma into agency and advocacy.[3]
Additionally, MacDonald is a frequent guest lecturer at academic institutions, focusing on narrative storytelling as a tool for advocacy and social change. His efforts extend internationally, as demonstrated by his Fulbright Scholarship at Queen’s University in Belfast, where he introduced storytelling methodologies to empower grassroots organization.[4]
BooksAll Souls: A Family Story from Southie
A New York Times bestseller, All Souls: A Family Story from Southie (Beacon Press, September 1999), won an American Book Award and New England Literary Lights Award, as well as the Myers Outstanding Book Award administered by the Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights in North America.
With All Souls, MacDonald writes a gripping memoir about his life growing up in the Old Colony housing projects in South Boston, a predominantly white Irish Catholic neighborhood. He writes about the crime, drugs, and violence in his neighborhood in the years following Boston's busing riots, and of his brothers and sisters, several of whom fell prey to drugs, crime, and suicide. The book introduces his mother, Helen King, a feisty woman who raised her nine surviving children in the projects. The book often mentions Whitey Bulger, a gangster and FBI informant in Southie, who brought the drug trade into the neighborhood, contributing to the deaths of hundreds of young people leading to suicides, murders, and overdoses. Despite the turmoil, MacDonald writes about how proud and loyal the residents were in Southie.
Easter Rising: An Irish American Coming Up from Under
Released in October 2006, Easter Rising: An Irish American Coming Up from Under continues MacDonald's personal story. It tells of his path out of Southie and the history of the 1980s punk subculture, punk ideologies, and post-punk music scenes. In addition, he speaks of meeting older family members.[5]
References- ^ Kahn, Joseph (2000-03-16). "The Man Who Opened the Windows and Screamed". The Boston Globe. Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2011-10-06.
- ^ Byrne, Lauren (March 2000). "The Boy from Southie". Irish America Magazine. pp. 46–49. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Patrick MacDonald - JLF Colorado". jlflitfest.org/. 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
- ^ "Book Michael Patrick MacDonald for Speaking, Events and Appearances". APB Speakers. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
- ^ Atkinson, Jay (October 8, 2006). "Making his way out of Southie". The Boston Globe. Boston.com. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
- Michael Patrick MacDonald talks about his new book, All Souls, and changing times in South Boston The Boston Phoenix, by Sarah McNaught
- Appearances on C-SPAN
