Labor history series provides diverse offerings

Working (from a women’s point of view), the influence of immigrants (from several continents), two theatrical productions, two mysterious deaths and two films are among highlights of this year’s Untold Stories labor history series.

The series is presented by The Friends of the St. Paul Public Library in honor of Labor History Month, with a number of co-sponsors. The rundown:

April 13: David Noble Lecture: Lisa Lowe, of the University of California San Diego, talks about the forgotten role that indentured Chinese workers played in the emergence of the U.S. She adds an Asian perspective to a discussion that typically focuses only on Europe, Africa and the Americas. Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., 7 p.m., free.

April 19: “Labor’s Turning Point.” This summer is the 70th anniversary of one of the key events in Minnesota labor history — the 1934 Teamsters strikes. This film recalls the strikes, which broke the hold of the anti-union Citizens Alliance, a spiritual ancestor of today’s Taxpayers League. The film will be shown as part of a program presented by the St. Paul Labor Speakers Club. St. Paul Labor Centre, 411 Main St., 7:30 p.m., free.

April 22-24, April 30-May 1: “Mother Courage and Her Children.” A Macalester College production of Bertoldt Brecht’s 1939 play examines the effects of war and those who profit from it. Janet Wallace Fine Arts Center, Macalester College, 7:30 p.m. each day, except 2 p.m. April 24. $7, $5 seniors, $2 children. (A public library card gets you in free April 24.)

April 28: “Women’s Workforce.” Sara Evans, a professor at the University of Minnesota, discusses the impacts of women at work, their distinct concerns and their union involvement. Evans is the author of Tidal Wave: How Women Changed America at Century’s End. Hamline Midway Library, 1831 Marshall Ave., 7 p.m., free.

April 29-30: “Forgotten: The Murder at the Ford Rouge Plant.” A Macalester College student cast presents a concert production of this new “jazz opera,” which examines the story of Lewis Bradford, a minister who died at an unorganized Ford Motor plant in the 1930s. The April 29 performance is at the UAW Local 879 Hall, 2191 Ford Parkway, 8 p.m., free. The April 30 performance is at Macalester College Concert Hall, 8 p.m., free.

May 3: “Presenting Brecht.” Theater directors Beth Cleary, from Macalester College, and Wendy Knox, from Frank Theater, dive into Bertoldt Brecht, his themes and staging his work, which often unabashedly addresses working-class issues. Merriam Park Library, 1558 W. Minnehaha Ave., 7 p.m., free.

May 4: “The Changing Face of Labor.” Hy Berman, Sherri Gerbert Fuller and Ann Regan emphasize the struggles and impacts of selected ethnic groups on the Minnesota we know today. Arlington Hills Library, 1105 Greenbreier St., 7 p.m., free.

May 6: “Snow on the Rails.” Folktale collector Dennis Boyer talks about the characters and culture of railroading in the Midwest. Rice Street Library, 1011 Rice St., 7 p.m., free.

May 8: “Historic Downtown Labor Sites Walking Tour.” Union members Dave Riehle, who is also a labor historian, and Mark Wickstrom, who is also a master stone cutter, lead this year’s version of the annual walking tour. Meet at Central Library, 90 W. 4th St., 2 p.m., free.

May 12: “A Woman’s Work is Never Done: Exploring the Oral Histories of Minnesota Women and Their Work.” Twin Cities writer Mary Bader and Metro State University instructor Renee Vaughan share their experiences in uncovering the reality of work through a woman’s eyes. Bader will highlight her search for the union past of her grandmother, Christine Waldoch, and how she found the forgotten activists who belonged to the largest union of women in St. Paul during the 1920s. Vaughan will talk about her ongoing web project, The Minnesota Women & Work Oral History Collection, which features interviews with more than 60 prominent and not-so-prominent women about the work they get paid to do, and the work they do but don’t get paid for. Daytons Bluff Library, 645 E. 7th St., 7 p.m., free.

May 16: “An Injury to One.” This documentary film about the death of Wobbly organizer Frank Little is part of the ReelMN series. Little attempted to organize miners in Butte, Mont., a town run by Anaconda Mining, infamous for its war profiteering and indifference to worker safety. Local musicians Gabriela Sweet and Dan Rumsey will perform labor songs before and after the screening. Minnesota History Center, 345 W. Kellogg Blvd., 2 p.m., free.

Co-sponsors of the Untold Stories series include several labor and academic organizations, including the University of Minnesota Labor Education Service, which publishes Workday Minnesota.

Adapted from The Union Advocate, the official newspaper of the St. Paul Trades and Labor Assembly. E-mail The Advocate at: advocate@mtn.org

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