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Clara Lemlich Awards for Social Activism Work History News New York Labor History Association, Inc. A Bridge Between Past and Present Volume 38 No 2 Summer/Fall 2021 Clara Lemlich awards for social activism By Abbe Nosoff In Praise of Older Women: The Clara Lemlich Awards celebrates these incredible women who changed the world with their activism: Barbara Dane, Suelika Cabrera Drinane, Debby King, Wilhemina Perry, Muriel Tillinghast. The awards event presented via Zoom included inspiring Muriel Tillinghast Barbara Dane Suelika Cabrera Drinane music and speeches hosted by movement organizer. She discussed the struggles of Black people Labor Arts and the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition, denied their voting rights. What an inspiring and uplifting story supported by the Museum of the City of New York, the Puffin of doing the right thing. She questioned whether this is being Foundation and the 21st Century ILGWU Heritage Fund. echoed today in denying democracy and voting rights. Begun by chanteuse Cara Noel of SEIU 1199 singing “Wind BARBARA DANE, almost 94 years young, regaled us with Beneath My Wings” to call attention to our heroes, these 5 her history as a singer on the picket lines in Detroit. Music activists were honored on May 10. We were further entertained could move people as she played her guitar on the lines. Her by the NYC Labor Chorus singing “The Union Makes Us takeaway to young singers: Don’t stop, keep doing it. We’re Strong/ Solidarity Forever.” listening. Use your voice and music to propel your ideals. We were presented with a short history of the youthful Poetry and music enlightened us all. activist and labor organizer, Clara Lemlich, who famously said, “I have something to say!” and did she ever. Her words SUELIKA CABRERA DRINANE believed that still reverberate today. integration of black and Hispanic seniors was essential to union activism. She confronted the New York State governor MURIEL TILLINGHAST, began as an activist in continued on page 2 Mississippi volunteering in voter registration drives. She was a INSIDE MAY DAY program in Albany............................................................................................................................................Page 2 A pandemic nurse’s diary .................................................................................................................................................................Page 13 Reinventing solidarity ....................................................................................................................................................................................Page 3 Crossword puzzle ...........................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 14 More books to raise children’s awareness ........................................................................Page 4 Call for entries Bernhardt journalism prize 2021 .....................................Page 16 Crossword puzzle answers .........................................................................................................................................................Page 5 Send a girl!.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 17 The long history of mob violence ..................................................................................................................Page 6 Radium girls .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 18 A labor history collaboration ................................................................................................................................................ Page 7 Labor and the media ........................................................................................................................................................................................Page 19 The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire 2021 ........................................................................... Page 8 Haymarket – a history of workers in America ....................................................Page 20 Profiles in Activism .......................................................................................................................................................................................................Page 10-11 Working Class New York revisited ................................................................................................................. Page 22 In search of John Commerford..................................................................................................................................Page 12-13 Clara Lemlich awards for social activism continued from page 1 by literally demanding “no more peanuts” for seniors. Now she rallies for home care workers and asks for our support for higher pay and rights in NYS legislation. DEbbIE KING, an 1199 worker who became an activist in the 1970s, moved to Ireland with her husband and taught courses at a Jesuit school there. She’s now working for nannies, health care and domestic workers to be covered under labor law and anti-discrimination law. In our city, human rights laws must Debbie King Dr. Wilhemina Perry include these workers. downsized over the years, there remains a permanent shelter for DR. WILHEMINA PERRY, LGBT Convener, who these youth, providing small but vital services. worked with homeless gay youth to make the connection This event was sponsored by National Writers Union, the between churches and these youth. By using her sources New York Labor History Association and Tamiment Library. at local churches, she provided shelter to these youth in underused spaces there. She motivated her friends to provide Abbe Nosoff is secretary of executive board of the New York food, linens and other services for these youth. Although Labor History Association, retired school teacher and union activist. MAY DAY program in Albany By Art Fleischner, Solidarity Committee of the standards during the pandemic. Some Capital District staff nurses spoke along with labor leaders, THE SOLIDARITY COmmIttEE of politicians and clergy. NYSNA provided the Capital District along with several other a small band that led marchers a few labor, political, environmental, educational, blocks to Washington Park where people anti-war, social justice and gender equality congregated around tables that provided groups held a May Day teach-in on Friday, information on several different groups April 30, and a rally, march and celebration and a stage where singers, poets and on Saturday, May 1. speakers held forth. At a review session The teach-in was on Zoom with two weeks later, committee members four speakers from around the USA. vowed to make the two decade May Day Attorney Heather Benno of the Party celebration in the capital district another for Social Liberation was the moderator. exciting event. The theme of the discussion was “Which for housing, education and anti-racism. Way Forward For The Working Class?” The last speaker was Fareed Michelen, Jarribu Hill, Education Director of the Director of Organizing for NYSNA, the Work History News Worker Center in Jackson, Mississippi, nurses union in New York State and the stated there needs to be a Labor Party and leader of the fight in Albany, New York New York Labor History Association, Inc. a more aggressive AFL-CIO for working for a contract for 2000 nurses who won a people to move forward. Author Michael Work History News is published twice per year 2-1 election three years ago. He spoke to to keep NYLHA members informed about our Zweig posited the view that the American the necessity of the working class to assert organization’s work and labor history events in working class needed to hook-up with their rights against a ruling class that has New York. For more information, visit us at newyorklaborhistory.org. workers from around the world as they pushed them further behind a decent did in the 1930’s. Journalist Monica Cruz standard of living. President Irwin Yellowitz talked about the recent Amazon election On a beautiful May Day, hundreds Vice-President George Altomare in Alabama where RWDSU was defeated, gathered in front of Albany Medical Secretary Abbe Nosoff; Regina Olff the need to pass the PRO ACT, and that Center demanding a contract for the Treasurer Peter Filardo labor unions must expand their fight nurses, better staffing and more safe Editor Jane LaTour 2 New York Labor History Association Reinventing solidarity: Black-led antiracist unionism-the legacy of the IWW’s Ben Fletcher By Jane LaTour n February 4, the New York Labor History Association O co-sponsored a fascinating discussion between CUNY Professor Kafui Attoh and the historian Peter Cole about the subject of his book, Ben Fletcher: The Life and Times of a Black Wobbly. Fletcher has been “totally forgotten,” said Cole. He is making the case to correct this omission. “If you’ve heard of Stokely Carmichael, or A. Phillip Randolph, or Fred Hampton, Ben Fletcher should be in that list,” he said. Cole compares Fletcher to Hampton. Both were “young organizers, who eventually served time in Leavenworth
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