Jackie Hudson

Jacqueline Marie Hudson , (November 19, 1934 – August 3, 2011) was an American Dominican sister and anti-nuclear activist. She spent the first 29 years of her working career as a music teacher. After her retirement from education, she dedicated her life to anti-war activism, during the course of which her actions led her to be arrested several times. In 2011, after a decline in her health in prison, Hudson died from multiple myeloma at the age of 76.

Early life, education, and career Born in Saginaw, Michigan, she was the younger of two children. Her father had studied in a seminary for a time and both her parents were very religious. Hudson was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Catholic schools for her entire education. In 1952, at the age of 18, she decided to join the Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids.

After her initial formation as a member of her religious congregation, Hudson was permitted to attend VanderCook College of Music, concentrating in music and religious education. This led to a nearly three decade long career as a music teacher at a series of Roman Catholic junior high schools in Michigan, where she taught piano and band as well as vocal music. Throughout this time, she also sang in a musical group composed of other Dominican Sisters, known as the Mellow D's. In 1983, she protested the introduction of nuclear cruise missiles to Michigan. In 1990, she was arrested and imprisoned for 6 months for illegally accessing a bunker on Wurtsmith Air Force Base and painting "Christ lives, Disarm" on the side of it. Hudson had a strong belief that she was doing the right thing and living out her faith, and stated that "[Jesus] put life before the law." In this, she was acting upon a determination by her congregation that the members were free to take social stands about which they felt deeply as individuals, without, however, representing the congregation. Wearing white hazmat suits emblazoned with "Citizen Weapon Inspection Team," they pounded on the missile, drew a cross in their own blood and prayed for peace.

At their pre-trial hearing, the Sisters, dressed in their religious habit, engaged in silent protest by only answering the judge with a nod. When their trial came about, the presiding judge, Robert E. Blackburn, granted an in limine motion to the prosecutor preventing the Sisters from arguing that their actions were legal under international law and the Nuremberg defense. The group was sentenced to between 31 and 40 months for obstructing national defense and damaging government property. The Sisters' appeal was rejected in 2005 by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. She was incarcerated in a Georgia prison pending her sentence, but was allowed to go home in June 2011 due to a serious decline in her health.