Mario Savio: The Spark That Set Berkeley on Fire

He wasn’t just a student—he was the voice that made the Free Speech Movement impossible to ignore. In this episode, we break down the life, battles, and legacy of Mario Savio: the man who jumped on a police car and challenged a university, a governor, and the FBI—all for the right to speak out.

🔹 Topics covered:

✔️ How the Free Speech Movement redefined protest on campus and nationwide

✔️ The wild ride from Freedom Summer to Sproul Hall

✔️ Savio’s legendary “Bodies Upon the Gears” speech—and why it still matters

✔️ The backlash: Reagan, COINTELPRO, and surveillance

✔️ What real activism looks like when the stakes are high

From Mississippi to Berkeley, Savio put everything on the line for justice. He called out hypocrisy, faced down power, and gave a generation the blueprint for using their voices—and refusing to sit down.

What would YOU risk to speak your truth? Let’s get uncomfortable in the comments—make the algorithm sweat!

#MarioSavio #FreeSpeechMovement #StudentActivism #CivilRights #Berkeley #ProtestHistory #COINTELPRO #BodiesUponTheGears

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https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mariosaviosproulhallsitin.htm

https://youtu.be/lsO_SlA7E8k?si=Gf0IbEKngp9BPbgX

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Movement

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Un-American_Activities_Committee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Savio

https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS3707

Music Credits:

“Wishful Thinking” – Dan Lebowitz: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOg3zLw7St5V4N7O8HSoQRA⁠⁠Open