July 27th, 2025

Nancy Greenman, a featured speaker during the 2025 Albany Pride Festival, is flanked by fellow Linn County Democrats Mark and Susan Leonard. The trio staffed the Albany Pride booth during the July 26 festival.

Nancy Greenman: 'As as long as we persevere, we shall prevail'

Harvey Milk

Nancy Greenman, Linn County Democrat and a Neighborhood Leader Program leadership team member, gave the following speech July 26 during the Albany Pride Festival in Monteith Riverpark:

  Hello, it’s wonderful to be here in this day that brings out the best in our community and our country.  Thanks to you all.
  What my bio adds up to is almost 60 years as a community organizer so of course I’m going to start with a question.  Who here has heard of Harvey Milk?  If Harvey were here at the mike today, what would he say? And what did he want to recruit you to do?
  To come out to the people you know and trust. To share your story. To confront hate and ignorance with humanity and hope. And guess what? That message is as fresh and compelling today as it was 50 years ago.
  I sensed that Harvey was right when I first heard those words fifty years ago, but for me their true power crystalized the morning of my father’s 100th birthday.  That morning — June 25, 2011 — the NY morning papers reported that late the previous night, the NY State Senate had narrowly voted to approve the NY Marriage Equality Act.
  The New York Senate at that time had 30 Democrats and 32 Republicans. One Democrat had announced that he would vote no, which meant that in order for the Act to pass Republican votes would be needed. The first to move was Senator James Alesi, who had voted no two years before. In announcing the change of his vote he explained that listening to his constituents had changed his mind. He said,
​  “At this point I am voting from the heart.  This is a matter of equality for people, our sons and daughters, and if we are going to live in a country that’s based on freedom and equality, that freedom and equality has to exist for everyone."
  In the days that followed, three more Republicans changed their votes from no to yes.  What made the difference? The calls, the letters, the visits — the STORIES — of their constituents.
  Harvey Milk was right.  You individually may not have the power to make the change you want.  But you absolutely have the power to be a part of that change. The noise of racist, xenophobic, homophobic, transphobic hatred is loud. But never underestimate the strength of your voice telling your truth to the people you know.
  And if you want to try out your voice on voters you haven’t yet met, you can find me — or Susan or Mark ‚ at the Pride booth during the day. Remember, as long as we persevere, we shall prevail. Thank you again.
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  Nancy's bio: Now in her sixth decade of social justice activism, Nancy Greenman divides her energy between supporting her immigrant friends, neighbors and community; and organizing volunteers to get good information to voters at election time. Trained as a lawyer, she has worked for the United Farmworkers, school districts, and provided funding and support to domestic and sexual violence services programs in every Oregon County.  She is a proud member of SEIU Local 503 and hopes that among you all here today are past recipients of Albany Peace Seekers Peacemaker awards.

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