The Chicago Teachers Union’s (CTU) recent decision to boycott Illinois Standards Achievement Tests, its efforts to fight privatization of education and school closures, and its attempt to break free from business-as-usual politics harkens back to a rich and largely hidden
Bittersweet Harvest, a moving new bilingual exhibition organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) and circulated by SITES, examines the experiences of bracero workers and their families, providing rich insight into Mexican American history and historical background
There have been a number of historically-informed blogs posted since the UAW’s defeat in Chattanooga in mid-February, 2014. We invite you to consider the variety of opinions and welcome your own comments about the salient history behind this moment. See
Reflections about the importance of workers power in American aspirations seem particularly appropriate at the approach of this President’s Day–that holiday formed by the compressed birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. In my life, I cannot recall when they’ve
This new book of political cartoons, In an Era of Wars and Revolutions: American Socialist Cartoons of the Mid-Twentieth Century, edited by Sean Matgamma, should be of interest to labor historians and those interested in mid-20th century Left politics. The
University of Illinois-Chicago United Faculty (UICUF) have announced that they will launch a 2 day strike Feb 18 and 19. In the Fall, UICUF participated in what their union called a “historic vote.” Indeed, it was. 79% of the tenure-track
LAWCHA remembers legendary folk singer and activist, Pete Seeger, who passed away on January 27, 2014. Seeger captivated multiple generations of activists through his tunes about social justice in a career spanning most of the twentieth century. His best known
LAWCHA has two main events at this year’s OAH. We encourage all LAWCHA members to attend the public Friday night activist plenary organized by Bethany Moreton, which will also have a buffet and wine. Please also keep an eye out
May 9-10, 2014. This conference will consider the myriad forms of work throughout American history, in order to engage scholarship in a wide range of subfields and disciplines. While race, gender, and class have become assumed and necessary categories of
Another national observance of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is upon us. I know that I’m speaking to the choir here when I say that many of the issues for which he fought in his short lifetime remain part of