The Raging Grannies push for progressive issues in the Triangle area

“Raging” is not a word typically used to describe your grandmother.

But the Raging Grannies, a group of female activists who sing politicized song parodies at rallies, are out to prove that you’re never too old to raise a little hell.

The Raging Grannies of the Triangle region, a local chapter of a larger international organization, will be out in full force Saturday at Raleigh’s Historic Thousands on Jones Street protest, clad in flowered hats and knitted shawls. The grannies advocate for progressive issues like women’s rights, education reform, racial equality and environmental protection.

“We are so frustrated by having to do this all over again,” said Vicki Ryder, a 71-year-old member of the Raging Grannies, who remembers marching for civil rights and advocating for safe, legal abortions. “We feel like we’re just being dragged back 50 years — and walking backwards is not a happy walk.”

Ryder retired to North Carolina with her husband because she thought the state was progressive for the South.

But since the 2012 elections, when Republicans gained control of the legislature and the governor’s mansion, she said she feels that legislators have stopped listening to what people want.

“They forget that they are elected to represent all the people — not just those with money, and not just those who keep them in power,” Ryder said. “But it just makes me more outraged and committed to doing whatever I can.”

Ryder and several other grannies said they would be in the streets protesting no matter what party controls the legislature.

Lori Hoyt, a founding member of the local ‘gaggle’ of Raging Grannies, said she has attended the Historic Thousands on Jones Street march for seven years before it was rebranded in conjunction with the Moral Monday movement.

Also a member of both the NAACP and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Hoyt said she continues to fight for justice to leave the world a better place.

“I’m 80 years old — I’m not going to be here that much longer,” Hoyt said. “But I have five children and nine grandchildren. I really fear for what kind of world my generation is leaving to the next generation.”

While the grannies’ style of peaceful protest might be unconventional, it is effective at drawing attention.

The women write thought-provoking, slightly irreverent lyrics to popular tunes and perform the songs at rallies.

“They bring levity and humor to these issues that are often complex and frustrating,” said Suzanne Buckley, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice N.C., which advocates for reproductive rights.

A group of about eight to 15 grannies has sung at every Moral Monday rally in Raleigh, gaining them an impressive fan base in the activist community.

“The Raging Grannies have always been music to the ears and music to the souls of those who love justice,” said the Rev. Curtis Gatewood, coalition coordinator of Saturday’s march. “They are so versatile that they can write a song for almost any issue.”

But the grannies’ protests are not always so well-received. Several members were arrested at Moral Monday rallies last year on charges related to civil disobedience.

“(We were) performing our duty as citizens to speak out to our legislature, and we were willing to face arrest,” Ryder said.

“Frankly, we have less to lose,” said Ryder, about the perks of being an older activist. “I’m willing to stand up and be counted and not have to worry about losing my job, or who’s going to be home to take care of the kids if I’m in jail overnight.”

Ryder and her husband were handcuffed, put on a bus and taken to a holding area.

“I didn’t get out until 2:30 that morning. We were fingerprinted many times over, we had mugshots taken, we had to sit on a contraption that would X-ray us to make sure we hadn’t hidden something in places that we shouldn’t have,” Ryder recalled. “We were treated like common criminals. Nobody should be treated that way until they’re found guilty of something.”

Because of the ordeal, Ryder said she does not blame young people who cannot risk being as vocal as the Raging Grannies.

“But at the same time, I wish that more of them would be as aware as the wonderful young people who we are seeing come out … to Moral Mondays.”

Raging Granny Liz Evans said the group is looking forward to Saturday’s march.

“Everyone is very excited and very geared up,” she said. “I think it’s going to be huge.”

Evans said she is proud to stand alongside her fellow grannies at protests, but also to call them her friends.

“It’s a lot of knowledgeable women. I just love being with them and singing about things that are important.”

state@dailytarheel.com