Dangerous, Dirty, Violent & Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn review
The son of fugitive leaders of the militant Weather Underground recounts his chaotic, peripatetic upbringing
TL;DR
- Zayd Ayers Dohrn's childhood was marked by being on the run from the FBI with his parents, who were members of the Weather Underground.
- The Weather Underground was a revolutionary group founded in 1969, inspired by the Vietnam War, aiming to overthrow the US government.
- Bernardine Dohrn, Zayd's mother, was a leader of the group, described by J Edgar Hoover as 'the most dangerous woman in America'.
- The group engaged in protests, riots, and bombings, though they abandoned direct attacks on people after an accidental explosion in 1970.
- Despite their actions, Dohrn's parents faced minimal jail time, and Zayd does not hold them responsible.
- Dohrn has become a playwright and screenwriter, and his book, originating from a podcast, includes his personal reflections and historical counter-culture details.