Cole, Kay, 1911-

Born on June 11, 1911 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Involved with American Indian issues. In 1982 formed the Dennis Banks Defense Committee.

Kay Cole was born on June 11, 1911 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She earned her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, and her M.A. from Columbia University in New York, with degrees in the social sciences. Kay Cole also studied political sociology at the University of California in Berkeley. She was and is very interested in the plight of American Indians, especially regarding the colonial/imperial oppression brought upon them by the United States government.

In 1973, Ms. Cole visited Chile; the people she spoke with wanted to know about Wounded Knee. Not being very familiar with the events surrounding Wounded Knee, Cole came back to the United States determined to learn more about what happened there. Her involvement with Dennis Banks began when she saw him and Russell Means on a late night television talk show. In 1980, Cole attended a meeting in which Banks was the speaker. Following the meeting, she met him backstage and he invited her to attend one of his workshops. Prior to attending the workshop, Cole raised money for the Long Walk for Survival, a cross country walk for nuclear disarmament, which Banks was involved in organizing. At their next meeting, the ties between Banks and Cole were cemented.

Kay Cole continues to be involved with American Indian issues to date. She speaks publicly on behalf of Leonard Peltier, and visits him in prison regularly. She also continues to be in contact with Dennis Banks.