The History of Labor’s ‘Day’
The celebration of the first Monday in September as a holiday “is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
In the mid-1890s, Samuel...
The 1911 Furniture Workers Strike
A century-old and nearly forgotten story about furniture workers who overcame deep cultural divisions to unite for their common good was recently put back in the limelight by a group of labor activists.
Pete Seeger: Activist, Master Songsmith
Even if you’ve never been to a labor rally, a civil rights demonstration, or a folk music concert, chances are you’ve been touched by the music of Pete Seeger.
For more than six decades, this gifted performer has traveled the world spreading...
Evelyn Dubrow: Labor’s Legendary Lobbyist
For two centuries, the lobbies adjacent to the U.S. House and Senate have attracted all sorts of “interest peddlers,” from the cigar-chomping agents of the mine, railroad, and steel industries to the well-heeled representatives of today’s multi-...
Frederick Douglass: Activist, Orator, Publisher, Statesman
Unquestionably, the single greatest leap forward in the quest for social and economic justice is the abolition of slavery. In the United States, after decades of struggle and a bloody civil war, slavery was formally abolished in 1865. Today, while...