There’s no mistaking Jeanne Nye for a Raging Granny. Her rubber ducky earrings bounce as she laughs, her wide grin is contagious and she energetically waves her hands as she speaks. But before Nye ever picked up a protest sign, she spent 44 years in the classroom, teaching children in Michigan, Texas and Wisconsin.
During her career, Nye dealt with her share of challenges, from navigating strict school rules in a one-room school on the border of Mexico to getting creative, making Halloween costumes for less fortunate children.
“The school I taught at [in Texas] had these terrible strict rules. No boys’ hair could touch their collar, so they would get kicked out. And somehow this bunch of boys knew to sneak over to my room and I would cut their hair,” Nye said.
Nye told The Daily Cardinal her experiences teaching inspired her to join The Raging Grannies of Madison, an informal group of older women advocating for peace and justice, after her career in the formal classroom ended.
The Raging Grannies of Madison, who first performed in Wisconsin’s capital in 2003, are one of more than 50 groups or ‘gaggles’ across Canada and the U.S. The Madison gaggle is a fixture at the Dane County Farmers Market, as well as the recent No Kings protests and Wisconsin Climate March. The Raging Grannies are recognized by their unique style, which consists of aprons, hats, buttons, sashes and bonnets, or ‘granny-wear.’
Through her activism with the other Grannies and drawing from her career, she maintained education and healthcare are the issues she holds closest to her heart.
“Having worked in the school system with children who didn’t have shoes when they came to school in the wintertime or they come in at 10:30 to school because mom didn’t get up,” Nye said. Her experiences have directed her political activism. “If they take away Medicaid, all the funding for school banks… it just breaks my heart,” she said.
Nye said the Grannies’ distinctive appearance helps protect them from police at protests. “I think that it catches people off guard, and we have a reputation for not being aggressive. You gotta look granny, and harmless, and then zing them with the song,” she said. “[The police] just seem like they pretend we’re not there, like they’re not seeing it so they don’t have to address it.”
Nye also said the Raging Grannies have helped her find her purpose as she grows older and isn’t “needed” as much anymore by her kids.
“We’re all trying, and we’re pushing ourselves to be an involved, better person,” Nye said. She also stressed the importance for elderly people to get involved with activities as they get older, as it builds a sense of community important for mental health.
Nye also had one last piece of advice for the college students of Madison: vote.
“Vote, and you can make big changes. Vote in the little ways. Don’t just go thinking the president’s the one. I mean, go all the way down, vote for your Alderman,” she said.
The Raging Grannies will be at the No Kings’ Protest on Saturday. They also attend the Farmer’s Markets on Saturday mornings, as well as Open Mic Nights at Memorial Union on Wednesdays.
