Ronnie Cummins

“I met Ronnie, decades ago, in the very early stages of the struggle to protect our food supply, our planet, from genetically engineered contaminates. Was lucky enough to be able to host him (and Rose too) at my little casita in an agricultural neighborhood, just south of Albuquerque. What wonderful discussions we had; always over great healthy food, perfectly spiced with delicious commaradrie and laughter. One couldn’t help but immediately recognize, what an incredibly, extraordinary person he was, with his deep embrace of our interconnectedness. And what a magnificently active mind, always quick to see beyond the horizon, to the next goal, the next way to expand the work, another way to bring people and issues together.

I have been honored to be on the OCA advisory board since those early years and call Ronnie a friend and a dear brother in the work. Ronnie’s spirit is and will always be an abiding inspiration. Now that he is part of a higher power, I can’t help but feel he will be looking after us, as we continue his work, our work, of making a more just, peace in the world.

I love you Ronnie—you live in my heart!”

– Robin Seydel

“A true friend and partner, Ronnie Cummins is a legend.“

– Dr. Joesph Mercola

“Ronnie was everything this write-up says – and so much more. I worked for Ronnie and his wife, Rose, for nine years. We forged a lifelong friendship. But he treated me more like family than an employee or a friend. Ronnie was a visionary, whose irrepressible hope for the future was informed by his deep knowledge and understanding of history. He captivated crowds, speaking at length without a single note or prompt, the facts and figures just flowed. Rarely did his speeches not end in a standing ovation. I had the good fortune to be able to travel to faraway places with Ronnie. Everywhere he went, he inspired — and was energized by — others, but especially the young people. Long after people half his age had retired for the night, Ronnie would be singing and playing guitar into the wee hours of the morning. Yet when morning came around, he was the first one up, sipping his coffee, scanning the headlines . . . and plotting his next project. His slow, southern drawl belied an inexhaustible energy. Ronnie was inclusive. Generous. Fearless when it came to speaking truth to power. But most of all, he was authentic to the bone. The highest compliment he bestowed on others was to call them “the real deal.” Ronnie should know — he lived a life unequivocally committed to seeking justice and confronting those on the wrong side of it — no matter how powerful. No one person can step in and take his place — but together, an army of passionate revolutionaries can carry forward his life’s work. That, in the end, is the only way to honor his legacy.”

– Katherine Paul