An Intergenerational Dialogue on Peace and Disarmament
On October 2, Maylene Hughes, Senior Coordinator of the Nuclear Threats Program at PSR-LA, joined peace and justice activist Genevieve Vaughan for an intergenerational dialogue on peace and disarmament at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. The conversation was part of Sissy at 100, a celebration honoring the 100th birthday of Frances “Sissy” Farenthold, the trailblazing Texas legislator, feminist, and peace activist whose lifelong commitment to justice continues to inspire new generations of organizers.
Genevieve, Sissy’s cousin and longtime collaborator, reflected on a legacy of activism that helped shape the peace and justice movements. Maylene brought the perspective of a younger generation carrying that work forward through nuclear abolition advocacy and community organizing. She emphasized the importance of connecting nuclear disarmament to issues people are organizing around today, including public health, environmental justice, racial justice, economic justice, and community safety.
Through PSR-LA’s Nuclear Threats Program and its work with the national Back from the Brink campaign, Maylene helps communities understand how grassroots organizing can advance federal nuclear policy change. Inspired by the Nuclear Freeze movement, Back from the Brink demonstrates how local organizations, communities, and elected officials can build momentum for a world free from nuclear weapons. She also highlighted how local resolutions can bring communities together, engage new leaders, and build a foundation for sustained advocacy. The conversation returned to a central question: How does each generation carry this work forward? For Maylene, it means learning from those who came before while making room for new voices, perspectives, and organizing strategies.
“We’re talking about people who organized decades ago, and I’m here because that work didn’t end with them. It reached me.”
Reflecting on Sissy’s lifelong pursuit of abolition, Maylene stressed the importance of ensuring the movement keeps growing and reaches people encountering nuclear disarmament for the first time. “The work doesn't have to be finished by one generation,” she reflected. “Our job is to carry it forward, bring more people into it, and leave the movement stronger for the people who come after us.” The dialogue reminded us that building a more peaceful world depends n both honoring the movements that came before us and creating pathways for future generations to continue them. At PSR-LA, that means connecting the urgent public health threat posed by nuclear weapons to community action, building grassroots power, and helping ensure that the movement for nuclear disarmament remains vibrant, inclusive, and growing.
