Father Bix: Non-violence in Action

The big problems of our world – such as war, climate change, poverty, racism, and sexism – are pervasive, intertwined, and tied to the very structures of society. Can these problems be addressed from within our society? How can we imagine change when our language and ideas are a product of our culture? Is it possible to develop resistance within hegemony? In this presentation, I address these questions and discuss how my search for answers has led to my masters project: a documentary film about Father Bill “Bix” Bichsel, a Jesuit priest and activist who lived in Tacoma. I begin with a discussion of cultural narratives, explaining that it is necessary to imagine a better world before such a world can be enacted. By changing our perspective, we can begin to see many common activities as resistance to oppressive social structures. I critique the idea that “the ends justify the means,” which is commonly accepted in Western culture, and explain how value-driven action has led to social change through campaigns of non-violence. Finally, I tell the story of Father Bix and describe how my film will frame his life and work as a real-world case study of the effects of value-driven action. I conclude by explaining that the use of film will make Bix’s story accessible to a wide audience, in the hope of inspiring people to create their own value-driven communities

You Can\u27t Say No to Father Bix

I came to UW Tacoma with an interest in studying social justice groups and organizations. As I looked into local social justice projects I kept running into the same name – Bill Bicshel, also known as Father Bix. Father Bix was born in Tacoma in 1928. Since the ‘60s he has been an activist for non-violence, and an advocate for the poor, the homeless, and the mentally ill. He has helped create many social justice organizations, including the Martin Luther King Center, the G Street community, Guadalupe House, the Gallucci gardens, soup kitchens, and Pierce County’s first food bank. He currently leads anti-nuclear protests, for which he has been arrested and imprisoned several times, most recently in 2011. All of these projects stem from his core value that it’s not enough to believe something, you have to act on your beliefs. Father Bix has a special ability to rope people into things. He will have an idea about turning an unused plot of land into a garden that can produce food to supply a soup kitchen for the homeless, and he will find all of the people that will make that plan happen. And it will happen. His charisma, enthusiasm, drive and faith in community are unstoppable. If Father Bix asks you for your help you can’t say no. I am currently doing an oral history project about Father Bix, and I would like to share what I am learning about his work in Tacoma and the ways he has both created and leveraged community in service of social justice