Working Class Calendar

Earl Browder (1891 - 1973)

Wed May 20, 1891

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Earl Russell Browder, born on this day in 1891, was an American political activist, author, and leader within the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), serving as its General Secretary from 1930 to 1945.

Browder's primary political rival within the Party was William Z. Foster; the two sharply disagreed on what the organization's stance towards the Roosevelt administration should be. Foster was the more radical of the two, while Browder endorsed Roosevelt's "New Deal", offering critical support to his administration.

Browder was the chairman of CPUSA when the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact (an agreement of non-aggression between the Soviet and Nazi governments), and the Party quickly changed from being militantly anti-fascist to only engaging in moderate criticism of Germany. CPUSA's membership declined by 15% in the following year.

Browder was an advocate for a cooperative relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States after World War II, and was sharply criticized for this by the French Communist Party, later revealed to have done so on orders from Moscow in the "Duclos Letter".

Due to the domestic Red Scare in the U.S. and Browder's ambitions clashing with the Soviet agenda, Browder was expelled from the Communist Party on February 5th, 1946.

• Date: 1891-05-20
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.britannica.com, www.marxists.org.
• Tags: #Communism, #Birthdays, #Fascism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Malcolm X (1925 - 1965)

Tue May 19, 1925

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Malcolm X, born on this day in 1925, was a revolutionary civil rights leader who advocated for black liberation by "any means necessary".

Born Malcolm Little, he spent his youth living in a series of foster homes and engaging in petty crime, eventually serving six years in prison for larceny and breaking and entering.

While in prison, Malcolm joined the Nation of Islam (NOI) and adopted the surname "X" to acknowledge his unknown African ancestral name. Malcolm quickly became a leader with the NOI and was paroled in 1952, beginning a period of radical advocacy for black liberation.

In the 1960s, Malcolm X broke with the Nation of Islam, growing disillusioned with its leader Elijah Muhammed. During his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca, he witnessed Muslims of "all colors, from blue-eyed blonds to black-skinned Africans" treat each other as equals in worship. Because of this, Malcolm X became convinced that Islam could be used as a means to achieve racial equality.

On February 21st, 1965, Malcolm was assassinated in New York City. Three Nation members were charged with the murder and given indeterminate life sentences. Two of these men, Muhammed Abdul Aziz and Khalil Islam, were exonerated in 2021 after a 22-month investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney found that evidence of their innocence, including FBI documents, was withheld at trial.

The Shabazz family are among those who have accused Louis Farrakhan of involvement in Malcolm X's assassination. In 1994, Betty Shabazz was asked if she thought Farrakhan had anything to do with her late husband's death. She replied "Of course, yes. Nobody kept it a secret. It was a badge of honor. Everybody talked about it, yes."

In the wake of his assassination, capitalist press vilified Malcolm X, while media in Africa, China, and Cuba lauded him as a hero and a martyr. The New York Times wrote that Malcolm X was "an extraordinary and twisted man" who "turn[ed] many true gifts to evil purpose", while Time magazine condemned him "an unashamed demagogue" whose "creed was violence."

In contrast, The Ghanaian Times identified Malcolm X as among "a host of Africans and Americans who were martyred in freedom's cause." In China, the People's Daily described him as a martyr killed by "ruling circles and racists" whose death illustrated that "in dealing with imperialist oppressors, violence must be met with violence."

In 2023, The Guardian reported that the Shabazz family announced their plans to sue the FBI, New York Police, and other agencies over Malcom X's death. Ilyasah Shabazz, the third daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz, announced that new information indicates federal and state agencies “conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate”. Ilyasah added "For years, our family has fought for the truth to come to light concerning his murder and we’d like our father to receive the justice that he deserves."

"Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you're a man, you take it."

- Malcolm X

• Date: 1925-05-19
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.cnn.com, www.theguardian.com, edisciplinas.usp.br, antilogicalism.com.
• Tags: #Birthdays.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Hồ Chí Minh (1890 - 1969)

Mon May 19, 1890

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Hồ Chí Minh, born on this day in 1890, was a communist revolutionary and author who led the Việt Minh independence movement, serving as President of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969. He also served as Chairman and First Secretary of the Workers' Party of Vietnam.

Because he spent 30 years traveling the world in his youth, Hồ could speak fluently as well as read and write in Vietnamese, French, English, Russian, Cantonese, and Mandarin.

In the 1920s, he was bureau chief/editor of many newspapers which he established to criticize French Colonial Government of Indochina and promote communist propaganda. Publications included "Le Paria" (The Pariah), published in Paris, and "Thanh Nien" (Youth).

Hồ Chí Minh led the Việt Minh independence movement from 1941 onward, establishing the Communist-ruled Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) in 1945, and defeating the French Union in 1954 at the Battle of Điện Biên Phủ, ending the First Indochina War.

He was a key figure in the People's Army of Vietnam and the Việt Cộng during the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1955 to 1975. North Vietnam was victorious and was reunified with the Republic of South Vietnam (South Vietnam) a few years after Hồ's death, in 1976.

"To reap a return in 10 years, plant trees. To reap a return in 100, cultivate the people."

- Hồ Chí Minh

• Date: 1890-05-19
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.marxists.org.
• Tags: #Communism, #Birthdays, #Independence.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Cincinnati Time Store Opens (1827)

Fri May 18, 1827

Image: A sample labor for labor note for the Cincinnati Time Store. Scanned from Equitable Commerce by Josiah Warren (1846) [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1827, anarchist polymath Josiah Warren opened the Cincinnati Time Store, a store whose products could be purchased directly with labor power, one of the first practical applications of mutualist economic concepts.

Josiah Warren (1798 - 1874) was an American individualist anarchist, inventor, musician, printer, and author. Although he never used the term anarchism himself, Warren is sometimes credited as being the first American anarchist.

Warren's Cincinnati Time Store used "labor notes", where the customer purchased a good by agreeing to reproduce the amount of labor time it took to create it, plus a small increase to accommodate the overhead of the store.

Although the store was successful, Warren closed it after three years to create two communities based on the same mutualist foundation: Utopia, Ohio, and Modern Times, New York. Warren's concepts were influential on later anarchists, such as Benjamin Tucker and Émile Armand.

• Date: 1827-05-18
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.scribd.com.
• Tags: #Labor, #Anarchism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Theresa Garnett (1888 - 1966)

Thu May 17, 1888

Theresa Garnett, born on this day in 1888, was a militant British suffragette whose acts of feminist rebellion included assaulting Winston Churchill with a whip, shouting "Take that in the name of the insulted women of England!"

Garnett was born in Leeds on May 17th, 1888. In 1907, she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU) after being inspired by a speech given by the feminist and later co-founder of the Australian Communist Party Adela Pankhurst.

The WSPU fought for women's suffrage in the United Kingdom and was noted for its use of direct action. Its members heckled politicians, held demonstrations and marches, broke the law to force arrests, broke windows in prominent buildings, set fire to post boxes, committed night-time arson of unoccupied houses and churches, and, when imprisoned, went on hunger strike and endured physically traumatizing force-feeding.

Garnett participated in several of these actions as a young adult, chaining herself in 1909, along with four other activists, to a statue in Parliament in protest of a law meant to prohibit disorderly conduct while Parliament was in session.

On November 14th, 1909, Garnett assaulted Winston Churchill, who instituted policies of force feeding suffragettes in prison, with a whip, striking him several times while shouting "Take that in the name of the insulted women of England!"

• Date: 1888-05-17
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, spartacus-educational.com.
• Tags: #Labor, #Feminism, #Birthdays, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Catonsville Nine (1968)

Fri May 17, 1968

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The Catonsville Nine were a group of Catholic activists who, on this day in 1968, seized 378 draft files from a local draft board, dumped them in the parking lot, burned them with homemade napalm, and were promptly arrested by police.

They were found guilty of destruction of U.S. property, destruction of Selective Service files, and interference with the Selective Service Act of 1967. The group was sentenced to a collective 18 years in jail and a fine of $22,000.

Several of the nine - Mary Moylan, Phil Berrigan, Dan Berrigan and George Mische - fled before their prison sentence, forcing the FBI to hunt them down.

• Date: 1968-05-17
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.catonsville9.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Battle of Alamance (1771)

Thu May 16, 1771

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On this day in 1771, the North Carolina "Regulator" movement, a poor peasant uprising in colonial America, was crushed by the North Carolina militia in a clash known as the Battle of Alamance.

The War of the Regulation was an uprising in British America's Carolina colonies, lasting from about 1765 to 1771, in which citizens took up arms against colonial officials, whom they viewed as corrupt, saying that "their highest study is the promotion of their wealth".

Historian Howard Zinn has argued that the Regulator Movement was a form of class conflict, as the Regulators described themselves as poor peasants, oppressed by the wealthier classes.

The battle was fought by more than 2,000 rebels and 1,000 militiamen, resulting in the deaths of at least 35 people and defeat for the Regulators.

After the battle, state militia traveled through Regulator territory, compelling Regulators and their sympathizers to sign loyalty oaths and destroying property of the most active members.

• Date: 1771-05-16
• Learn More: www.historyisaweapon.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Colonialism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Nakba Day (1948)

Sat May 15, 1948

Image: Palestinian civilians forced to flee from an unidentified village in Galilee some five months after the creation of the state of Israel [Reuters]

The Nakba, commemorated annually on this day as "Nakba Day", was the destruction of Palestinian society and homeland in 1948 following Israel's creation. Nakba Day protests take place around the world and have been attacked by Israel.

The foundational events of the Nakba took place during and shortly after the 1947-1949 Palestine war, including 78% of Mandatory Palestine being declared as Israel, the exodus of 700,000 Palestinians, the depopulation and destruction of over 500 Palestinian villages and subsequent geographical erasure, the denial of the Palestinian right of return, and the creation of permanent, stateless Palestinian refugees.

Although May 15th had been used as an unofficial commemoration of the Nakba since 1949, Nakba Day was formalized in 1998 after Yasser Arafat proposed that Palestinians should mark the 50th anniversary of the Nakba during the First Intifada.

The Nakba was a key event in the development of Palestinian culture and is a foundational symbol of Palestinian identity, along with "Handala", a ten-year old cartoon character developed by Naji al-Ali; the keffiyeh, a checkered black and white scarf worn around the head; and the "symbolic key" (many Palestinian refugees have kept the keys to the homes they were forced to flee).

On Nakba Day 2011, Palestinians and other Arabs from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Syria marched towards their respective borders, or ceasefire lines and checkpoints in Israeli-occupied territories, to mark the event. At least twelve Palestinians and supporters were killed and hundreds wounded as a result of shootings by the Israeli Army.

"In resisting the Nakba, the Palestinians have struck at the heart of the Zionist project that insists that the Nakba be seen as a past event. In resisting Israel, Palestinians have forced the world to witness the Nakba as present action; one that, contrary to Zionist wisdom, is indeed reversible." - Palestinian scholar Joseph Massad

• Date: 1948-05-15
• Learn More: www.palquest.org, www.aljazeera.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Jackson State Killings (1970)

Thu May 14, 1970

Image: Two students at Jackson State peer from a window that was shot out by police on campus in May 1970. Jack Thornell/AP [npr.org]

On this day in 1970, a confrontation began between Jackson State University students and local police, leading to the police opening fire on the crowd, firing more than 460 shots, killing two youths and wounding a dozen more. The murders took place just ten days after the Kent State Massacre.

On the evening of May 14th, over 100 students had gathered on Lynch Street (named after Reconstruction era legislator John Lynch) and were reportedly pelting rocks at white motorists. Tensions increased when a false rumor spread that Charles Evers, older brother of Medgar Evers and a civil rights activist in his own right, had been killed.

The police responded in force; at least 75 Jackson police units from the city of Jackson and the Mississippi Highway Patrol attempted to control the crowd, while firemen extinguished fires that had been set. After the firefighters had left the scene, the police moved to disperse the crowd that had gathered in front of Alexander Hall, a women's dormitory.

Just after midnight, the police opened fire on the building. The gunfire lasted for 30 seconds and more than 460 shots were fired. Every window on the narrow side of the building facing Lynch Street was shattered and two people were killed, one a seventeen year old at a nearby high school. Twelve more were wounded.

• Date: 1970-05-14
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.npr.org, www.zinnedproject.org.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Charles Horman (1942 - 1973)

Fri May 15, 1942

Charles Horman, born on this day in 1942, was an American journalist, anti-war activist, and documentary filmmaker who was executed by Chilean fascists in 1973 following the CIA-backed coup against socialist President Salvador Allende.

Horman was born in New York City on May 15th, 1942, graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1960 and Harvard in 1964. He was an active anti-war protester, present at the 1968 DNC protests and producing an award winning documentary titled "Napalm". He also worked as an investigative journalist for publications such as The Nation and The Christian Science Monitor.

In December 1971, Charles and his wife Joyce left the U.S. for Latin America, eventually settling down in Santiago, Chile, where he worked as a freelance writer.

On September 11th, 1973, fascists led by Augusto Pinochet and the CIA ousted democratically elected Marxist President Salvador Allende. In the following weeks, many prominent left-wing activists, such as Flora Sanhueza, Victor Jara, and Frank Teruggi, were arrested and killed.

Horman himself was arrested on September 16th, seized from his home by Chilean soldiers and taken to the National Stadium, which had been turned into a de facto concentration camp following the coup. There, Horman was executed on September 19th (some sources say 18th), 1973.

Documents declassified by the Clinton administration in 1999 indicate the U.S. knew of Horman's plight but initially obfuscated investigations into his death. They also indicated that it was unlikely Horman would have been killed without the knowledge and permission of the CIA.

In June 2014, a Chilean court ruled that US authorities had played a "fundamental" role in Horman's murder. In January 2015, two former Chilean intelligence officials were sentenced to jail in Chile for the murders of Charles Horman and Frank Teruggi, another American activist who was also arrested, executed the following day.

• Date: 1942-05-15
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.derechos.org.
• Tags: #Marxism, #Birthdays, #Journalism, #Fascism, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Adrienne Rich (1929 - 2012)

Thu May 16, 1929

Image: Black and white photograph of Adrienne Rich sitting at a desk, surrounded by piles of books. Photo by Neal Boenzi [poetryfoundation.org]

Adrienne Cecile Rich, born on this day in 1929, was a queer American poet, essayist and feminist. She was called "one of America's foremost public intellectuals" by the Poetry Foundation and is credited with bringing "the oppression of women and lesbians to the forefront of poetic discourse" by the New York Times.

Rich criticized rigid forms of feminist identities, and valorized what she coined the "lesbian continuum", which is a female continuum of solidarity and creativity that impacts and fills women's lives. Notable works by Rich include "On Lies, Secrets, and Silence" (1979), "Blood, Bread, and Poetry: Selected Prose" (1986), and "The Dream of a Common Language" (1978).

"False history gets made all day, any day, the truth of the new is never on the news."

- Adrienne Rich

• Date: 1929-05-16
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.theguardian.com.
• Tags: #Birthdays, #Queer.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Jesse Gray (1923 - 1988)

Mon May 14, 1923

Image: Jesse Gray (left) and others displaying rats found in Harlem tenant buildings in 1964 [blackpast.org]

Jesse Gray, born on this day in 1923, was an activist in Harlem who organized tenants against NYC slumlords. In 1963, Gray and tenants brought rats, both dead and alive, from their housing directly to the Manhattan Civil Court. They won.

Jesse Gray was born in Junica, outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As a worker, he became a leader with the National Maritime Union (NMU). While working as a NMU organizer, his global travels introduced him to many social justice movements, including Scotland's Tenant Movement.

Gray settled in New York City in the early 1950s and began to organize local protests with groups such as the Harlem Tenants Council and the Harlem Tenant and Welfare Council. Gray was not deterred from his activism despite being arrested and beaten by police.

In 1963, Gray led one of the most famous of the tenant strikes in Harlem, New York, in protest of "sub-human" living conditions. Beginning in November, thirteen families living in slum housing on 117th street withheld rent.

On December 30th, 1963, these tenants were expected to appear in Manhattan Civil Court to defend themselves against the landlords who ordered their evictions. With news media looking on, they brought rats, both dead and alive, to the court to demonstrate terrible living conditions that the property owners subjected them to.

These tenants also presented evidence that the heat, electricity, working plumbing, and rodent extermination were routinely denied to them. Their cases were dismissed and the tenants' plight was prominently broadcast on news media.

In 1969, Gray decided to quit his work as a tenant activist and pursue elected office as a Democrat. He was elected to the State Assembly in 1972 and was defeated in 1974.

• Date: 1923-05-14
• Learn More: www.blackpast.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Birthdays, #Tenant, #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Segundo Ruiz Belvis (1829 - 1867)

Wed May 13, 1829

Ruiz Belvis, born on this day in 1829, was an abolitionist who fought for Puerto Rico's independence from Spain, helping organize the revolutionary rebellion "Grito de Lares". Belvis died while raising funds for the rebellion in Chile.

After studying abroad, Ruiz Belvis returned to Puerto Rico in 1859 and befriended Ramón Emeterio Betances, joining his group "The Secret Abolitionist Society". The society baptized and emancipated thousands of black slave children in an event known as the "aguas de libertad" (waters of liberty).

In 1866, Ruiz Belvis exiled in New York where, with Betances and others, he formed the "Comité Revolucionario de Puerto Rico" (Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico) to organize for the independence of the island.

They developed a plan to send an armed expedition to Puerto Rico, later known as the "Grito de Lares". Before the insurrection could happen, however, Belvis died of illness while on a diplomatic mission in Chile to raise funds for the rebellion.

• Date: 1829-05-13
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.biografiasyvidas.com.
• Tags: #Birthdays, #Abolitionism, #Independence.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

MOVE Bombing (1985)

Mon May 13, 1985

Image: The police bombing of the MOVE collective in West Philadelphia killed eleven people and left city blocks in ashes. Photograph from Bettmann / Getty [newyorker.com]

On this day in 1985, Philadelphia police bombed a home occupied by the black liberation group MOVE and let the fire burn out of control - "let the fire burn" - killing five children and six adults, and destroying 65 homes. No charges were filed.

The standoff with MOVE, a black liberation organization, was initiated by the police in an attempt to serve an eviction notice. Eleven people, including five children, died in the fire.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the victims were prevented from fleeing the fire by police gunfire upon escape. Police Commissioner Sambor infamously ordered the fire department to "let the fire burn", destroying 65 nearby homes comprising two city blocks.

Although an investigation found that the law enforcement and fire department actions were negligent, no criminal charges were filed.

In October 2013, a documentary about the stand-off and bombing titled "Let the Fire Burn" was released by Zeitgeist Films.

• Date: 1985-05-13
• Learn More: www.theguardian.com, en.wikipedia.org, picturingblackhistory.org, www.zinnedproject.org.
• Tags: #Terrorism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Panther 21 Acquitted (1971)

Wed May 12, 1971

Image: A poster depicting Panther Zayd Malik Shakur with his hand raised. The poster reads "FREE THE PANTHER 21!" From newafrikan77 on WordPress.

On this day in 1971, the Panther 21 were acquitted of more than 156 charges after two years of legal proceedings. Afeni Shakur, facing 300 years in prison while pregnant with her son Tupac, successfully defended herself in court.

On April 2nd, 1969, 21 members of the Harlem Chapter of the Black Panther Party were formally indicted and charged with 156 counts of "conspiracy" to blow up subway and police stations, five local department stores, six railroads and the Bronx-based New York Botanical Garden.

Each member of the 21 was held on $100,000 bail, $2.1 million in total. 22-year old Alice Faye Williams, better known as Afeni Shakur, was the first to make bail in January 1970.

The Panther 21 Trial became the longest and most expensive trial New York state history, spanning over eight months. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the FBI had planted undercover infiltrators. These infiltrators admitted their role as provocateurs under oath.

Afeni represented herself in the trial, facing 300 years in prison and pregnant with her second son, Tupac Shakur. On May 12th, 1971, after two years of legal proceedings and just 45 minutes of jury deliberation, the Panther 21 were acquitted on all 156 charges of conspiracy.

• Date: 1971-05-12
• Learn More: www.workers.org, jacobinmag.com.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Poor People's March (1968)

Sun May 12, 1968

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The Poor People's Campaign was a march on Washington D.C. to gain economic justice for poor people in the United States that began on this day in 1968, just one month after the assassination of one of its key organizers, MLK Jr.

The protest was also organized by Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and carried out under the leadership of Ralph Abernathy in the wake of King's assassination.

After presenting an organized set of demands to Congress and executive agencies, participants set up a 3,000-person protest camp on the Washington Mall, where they stayed for six weeks in the spring of 1968.

Among those demands was a proposal for an "economic bill of rights" that included a commitment to full employment, a guaranteed annual income measure, and more low-income housing for poor Americans of all races.

"I think it is necessary for us to realize that we have moved from the era of civil rights to the era of human rights…

When we see that there must be a radical redistribution of economic and political power, then we see that for the last twelve years we have been in a reform movement…

That after Selma and the Voting Rights Bill, we moved into a new era, which must be an era of revolution…"

• MLK Jr., in a 1967 planning meeting

• Date: 1968-05-12
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.theatlantic.com, www.zinnedproject.org.
• Tags: #Protests.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Ellsberg Espionage Charges Dropped (1973)

Fri May 11, 1973

Image: Daniel Ellsberg, co-defendant in the Pentagon Papers case, talks to media outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles on April 28th, 1973. Photo credit Wally Fong, AP [nbcnews.com]

On this day in 1973, the charges of espionage, theft, and conspiracy levied against Daniel Ellsberg, the whistleblower responsible for leaking the Pentagon Papers, were dropped due to state misconduct, including the FBI tapping his phone.

Daniel Ellsberg is an American economist, activist and former United States military analyst who, while employed by the RAND Corporation, caused a national political controversy in 1971 when he released the Pentagon Papers, a top-secret Pentagon study of the U.S. government decision-making in relation to the Vietnam War.

On January 3rd, 1973, Ellsberg was charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 along with other charges of theft and conspiracy, carrying a total maximum sentence of 115 years.

Due to governmental misconduct and illegal evidence-gathering all charges against Daniel Ellsberg were dropped on May 11th, 1973. This misconduct included, but was not limited to, White House operatives burglarizing the office of Ellsberg's psychiatrist and the FBI secretly tapping his phone.

• Date: 1973-05-11
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.npr.org.
• Tags: #Journalism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Pullman Strike (1894)

Fri May 11, 1894

On this day in 1894, the Pullman Strike, a national railroad strike led by Eugene V. Debs, began, leading to Debs' arrest, 30 strikers' killed, $80 million of property damage, and the creation of the American version of Labor Day.

The strike pitted the American Railway Union (ARU) against the Pullman Company, the main railroads, and the United States government under President Grover Cleveland.

The conflict began in Pullman, Chicago when nearly 4,000 factory employees of the Pullman Company began a wildcat strike in response to recent reductions in wages. After a federal injunction to stop the strike was ignored, 12,000 troops were sent in to forcibly break the strike. All in all, 30 strikers were killed, 57 were wounded, and property damage exceeded $80 million.

The Pullman Strike was a watershed moment in American labor history - Eugene V. Debs, who led the strike, was arrested and imprisoned, radicalizing his politics and setting him on the path to become a prominent socialist leader and co-founder of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW).

After the strike was over, President Cleveland declared the national holiday "Labor Day" in an effort to appease organized labor.

• Date: 1894-05-11
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, www.britannica.com.
• Tags: #Labor, #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Madeleine Albright Berkeley Protest (2000)

Wed May 10, 2000

Image: Protestors decrying Madeleine Albright's role in maintaining U.S. sanctions against Iraq were ejected from UC Berkeley's graduation ceremony in May 2000. AP Photo by Ben Margot [sfgate.com]

On this day in 2000, activists disrupted the commencement speech of then Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in protest of U.S. sanctions against Iraq, leading Albright to flee the building after she finished speaking.

In a recent interview, Albright had stated that the hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children predicted to die from the policy was "worth it" to advance U.S. policy in the region.

Palestinian Fadia Rafeedie was initially scheduled to speak before Albright, however Albright's speech was moved first and she immediately left the building following her speech.

When it was Rafeedie's time to speak, she put aside her prepared remarks and spoke out against U.S. policy towards Iraq and the devastation it was causing on the population there. She ended her speech by saying this:

"I want to end my speech with a slogan that hangs over my bed in Arabic. It says, 'La tastaw Hishu tareeq el-Haq, min qilit es-sa'ireen fihi' and that translates into, 'Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it.' I think our future is going to be the future of truth, and we're going to walk on that path, and we're going to fill it with travelers. Thank you very much."

• Date: 2000-05-10
• Learn More: www.berkeley.edu, www.sfgate.com.
• Tags: #Protests, #Imperialism.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Astor Place Riot (1849)

Thu May 10, 1849

Image: An illustration of the Astor Place Riot, from the Library of Congress [thoughtco.com]

On this day in 1849, a riot broke out at the now-demolished Astor Opera House in Manhattan, leaving dozens dead and more than 120 injured. Poor workers shouted "Burn the damn den of the aristocracy" as they attempted to burn the House down. At the time, it was the deadliest "civic disturbance" in Manhattan's history.

Although the underlying cause of the riot was class conflict, this was expressed in preference over two famous actors performing Shakespeare at the opera house - one, William Macready, was British, and the other, Edwin Forrest, was an American star.

With the British and American talents serving as proxies for aristocratic and working class sensibilities respectively, the riot began during a performance of Macready's.

Shouting "Burn the damn den of the aristocracy", the crowd (mostly American-born workers and Irish immigrants) threw stones at the building, battled with police, and attempted to set fire to the opera house.

• Date: 1849-05-10
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, allthatsinteresting.com, www.thoughtco.com.
• Tags: #Riots.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Peter Maurin (1877 - 1949)

Wed May 09, 1877

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Peter Maurin, born on this day in 1877, was a French Catholic social activist, theologian, and De La Salle Brother who founded the anarchist Catholic Worker Movement in 1933 with Dorothy Day.

Aside from his writings in the publication "Catholic Worker", Maurin expressed his philosophy through short pieces of verse that became known as his "Easy Essays".

"The scholars must become workers so the workers may be scholars."

- Peter Maurin

• Date: 1877-05-09
• Learn More: www.catholicworker.org, catholicworker.org, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Birthdays.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

West Coast Waterfront Strike (1934)

Wed May 09, 1934

Image: Confrontation between a policeman wielding a night stick and a striker during the San Francisco General Strike, 1934 [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1934, the West Coast Waterfront strike began, lasting 83 days. The labor action involved more than 130,000 workers and cost waterfront employers approximately $45 million in lost revenue.

The strike began with 12,000 longshoremen on the West Coast of the United States going out on strike from their waterfront jobs, demanding more control in the hiring process and improved working conditions. The ranks of longshoremen were soon strengthened by the other craft workers in the marine industries, including sailors, engineers, firemen, and other workers.

At its height, almost 35,000 West Coast maritime workers participated in the strike, and, for four days in July, 130,000 workers in San Francisco held a general strike in solidarity with the maritime workers.

The strike lasted until October of 1934, and labor unions were granted significantly more power over the hiring and working conditions of the docks. During the striking months, nine people were killed, hundreds were arrested, and the clampdown on shipping cost the waterfront employers an estimated $45 million.

The ILWU continues to recognize "Bloody Thursday" (July 5th, when police officers shot into a crowd of strikers) by shutting down all West Coast ports in honor of all the workers killed by police during the strike.

• Date: 1934-05-09
• Learn More: depts.washington.edu, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Labor, #GeneralStrikes.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

ACLU Expels Elizabeth Flynn (1940)

Wed May 08, 1940

Image: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn addressing strikers in Paterson, N.J. (1913) [socialistworker.org]

On this day in 1940, the leadership of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), voted to expel labor radical and founding member Elizabeth Gurley Flynn for her Communist Party membership.

Flynn was a radical labor activist who prominently organized with the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). She had a long history of labor organizing, playing a leading role in the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913 and a free speech fight in Spokane, Washington, where she chained herself to a lamppost to delay her inevitable arrest. She was also a member of the Communist Party of the United States of America, joining in 1936.

In February 1940, the ACLU board adopted a controversial resolution that effectively barred communists from serving. For her part, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn refused to leave, forcing the organization to vote to remove her.

Later, the ACLU would also fail to come to the defense of W.E.B. Du Bois, a prominent communist activist and co-founder of the NAACP, while he was facing trial for gathering signatures for a global nuclear non-proliferation treaty in 1951.

• Date: 1940-05-08
• Learn More: jacobinmag.com, en.wikipedia.org.
• Tags: #Communism, #Labor, #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

Sétif and Guelma Massacres (1945)

Tue May 08, 1945

Image: Flag of the Algerian Nationalists in 1945, by Reda Kerbouche [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1945, French colonial authorities in the Algerian city of Sétif fired on marchers celebrating the surrender of Nazi Germany. In response, Algerians initiated an uprising against the colonizers that was brutally suppressed.

Anti-colonial Algerians attacked French settlements in rural Sétif, killing approximately 100 people of European origin. There were also attacks in the district of Guelma that lasted until June 1945.

In response, French colonial forces slaughtered slaughtered many thousands of Algerians (the total number is unknown, estimates vary from 6,000 to 30,000). The French summarily executed Muslim civilians, and there were mass graves. Villages were bombed and shelled by French aircraft and ships.

The Sétif uprising and the repression that followed marked a turning point in relations between France and the Muslim population, which had been subjugated since 1830. Nine years later, a general uprising began in Algeria, leading to independence from France in March 1962 with the signing of the Évian Accords.

• Date: 1945-05-08
• Learn More: jacobinmag.com, www.sciencespo.fr.
• Tags: #Colonialism, #Massacre.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org

NYC Waiters' Strike (1912)

Tue May 07, 1912

Image: New York City waiters' strike outside of Sherry's restaurant in Manhattan, 1912 [Wikipedia]

On this day in 1912, the first industry-wide strike of restaurant and hotel workers in New York City history began when 150 hotel workers, organized by the IWW, walked out to protest their poor working conditions.

At the height of the strike, there were 54 hotels and 30 restaurants and other establishments without their staff, amounting to approximately 2,500 waiters, 1,000 cooks, and 3,000 other striking hotel workers.

The strike was organized directly by Joe Ettor and Elizabeth Gurley Flynn of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). Before the IWW, the only union in place for hotel workers only had about 2,000 members and prohibitively high membership dues.

The workers demanded at least one day off a week, a higher minimum wage, and a prohibition of discrimination for being in a union. The strike continued through the rest of May but faced repression from the police. The strike officially ended on June 25th, 1912 without legal recognition for the IWW created Hotel Workers' International Union. Despite this failure, hotel workers would go on strike again in 1913, 1918, 1929, and 1934.

• Date: 1912-05-07
• Learn More: en.wikipedia.org, hotelworkers.org.
• Tags: #Labor, #IWW.
• Source: www.apeoplescalendar.org