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Solidarity Centennial commemorates 100 years of worker power

Events and Exhibits 100 years after the 1919 Seattle General Strike and the Centralia Tragedy

During 2019, a group of labor, history, educational, and cultural heritage groups across the Pacific Northwest will host readings, film screenings, discussions and exhibits to commemorate 100 years of worker power to reflect on the centennial of the 1919 Seattle General Strike, which closed down Seattle for six days; and the Centralia Tragedy, an armed showdown that occurred when armed American Legion members -- under the guise of an Armistice Day parade -- attacked an Industrial Workers of the World hall in Centralia, Washington.

The events include a screening of Witness to Revolution, the Story of Anna Louise Strong, exploring the life of the labor activist; Labor Will Feed the People: Celebrating the Seattle General Strike Centennial; a performance featuring the Seattle Labor Chorus; and a three-hour tour, by bus, of important 1919 sites of the Seattle General Strike. See listing of all events https://www.solidaritycentennial.com/events/

EVENTS:

Book reading: James Gregory, The Seattle General Strike - Centennial Edition

January 16, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Third Place Books 5041 Wilson Ave S, Seattle

University of Washington historian James Gregory will read from the newly published book The Seattle General Strike - Centennial Edition by Robert L. Friedheim with an introduction, photo essay and afterword by James N. Gregory.

Cost: Free

Film Premiere: Labor Wars of the Northwest

February 2, 1:00 PM 2:15 PM and 2:30 PM 3:45 PM

Museum of History and Industry, 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle. Joshua Green Foundation Theater

World premiere of the film Labor Wars of the Northwest, covering three decades of labor strife in the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century revealing the plight of working class men and women who battled for better wages, reasonable hours, and workplace safety. (60 minutes) followed by a discussion with director and local historian David Jepsen.

Cost: Free.

Exhibit: Solidarity Centennial: The Legacy of the Seattle General Strike Era and the Centralia Tragedy of 1919

Feb 4 through Jun 7, 2019

Allen Library, Special Collections Lobby and Reference Room, floor B

Featuring the words, documents, photographs, and artifacts of the participants in the Seattle General Strike, experience their testament to the power of solidarity and action by working people. See how diverse groups united across occupations and political affiliations asserted themselves in a powerful eruption of action that closed down the city for six days.  Materials are drawn from the collections of the Labor Archives of Washington and UW Special Collections. See exhibit hours

Cost: Free

Book reading: James Gregory, The Seattle General Strike - Centennial Edition

February 4, 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM

University Bookstore 4326 University Way NE

University of Washington historian James Gregory will read from the newly published book The Seattle General Strike - Centennial Edition by Robert L. Friedheim (University of Washington Press, 2018) (link) with an introduction, photo essay and afterword by James N. Gregory.

The Seattle Labor Chorus will also sing selections from its upcoming production of "Labor Will Feed the People."

Cost: Free.

Performance: Labor Will Feed the People: Celebrating the Seattle General Strike Centennial

February 6, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

Museum of History and Industry, 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle. Faye G. Allen Grand Atrium

For six days Seattle stood still as thousands of workers walked off the job. Making headlines around the world, the 1919 General Strike inspired others in the labor movement both nationally and internationally. Experience this historic moment through an immersive performance featuring the voices of workers, politicians, businessmen, and live music. Created by playwright Ed Mast and the Seattle Labor Chorus in collaboration with the UW Labor Archives of Washington and historian James Gregory.

Cost: $5 for MOHAI members; $10 for non-members.

Witness to Revolution: The Story of Anna Louise Strong

February 7, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Museum of History and Industry, 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle. Joshua Green Foundation Theater

Follow the life of author and labor activist Anna Louise Strong (1885-1970) in this sweeping documentary film. (27 minutes, Stourwater Pictures). Stay after the screening for a discussion with the film director Lucy Ostrander and local historian Stephanie Ogle.

Dive into labor issues past and present with representatives from the UW Labor Archives and Fair Work Center, who will be providing resources in the Faye G. Allen Grand Atrium before and after the screening

“Witness to Revolution is a superb story...it's an excellent summing-up of a long and influential career, focusing mostly on Strong's beginnings in Seattle and her reporting on the Seattle General Strike in 1919 and the Everett Massacre...Ostrander creates a sense of Seattle's radical past that makes it easy to understand why this state was once known as "the soviet of Washington."  - John Hartl, The Seattle Times. Free.

Cost: Free

Seattle General Strike Bus Tour

February 9, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Embarks at Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave, Seattle

Join the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association (PNLHA) on a bus tour of the important 1919 General Strike sites. UW Professor of History and former Harry Bridges Chair in Labor Studies James Gregory leads a tour including the location of the former Seattle Labor Temple, the Japanese Labor Association, the starting point of the shipyard strike, the past location of the Skinner Shipyard.

Space is limited: reserve a seat by calling (206) 367-0288 or emailing pnlha2@gmail.com

Cost: $25 for non-members of PHLHA; free for members.

Solidarity City: The 1919 Seattle General Strike and 100 Years of Worker Power

February 9, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Seattle Labor Temple 2800 1st Ave, Seattle

Join us for the annual event of the Labor Archives of Washington. This year's event will mark the 100th anniversary of the Seattle General Strike.

Cost: Free.

Speakers include:

    • James Gregory, Professor, UW History
    • Nicole Grant, Executive Secretary-Treasurer, MLK Jr. County Labor Council
    • Dana Frank, historian, author of Purchasing Power: Consumer Organizing, Gender, and the Seattle Labor Movement, 1919-1929
    • Cal Winslow, historian, author of Seattle General Strike: The Forgotten History of America's Greatest General Strike 2-19-
    • Jonathan Rosenblum, activist and author

    Partners created the banner organization Solidarity Centennial to participate in and organize the events, exhibits, and commemorations.

    Solidarity Centennial partners include:

    • Asian Pacific Labor Alliance
    • David Jepsen
    • Democratic Socialists of America Seattle Chapter
    • Democratic Socialists of America Olympia Chapter
    • Densho
    • Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies
    • HistoryLink.org
    • ILWU Local 23 Young Workers' Committee
    • James Gregory, UW Professor of History
    • Jonathan Rosenblum
    • King County Labor Council
    • Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries
    • LELO Legacy of Leadership, Equality, and Organizing
    • Lewis County Historical Society and Museum
    • Meaningful Movies Project
    • Members of the Industrial Workers of the World from Centralia, Washington
    • Museum of History and Industry
    • Pacific Northwest Labor History Association
    • Pierce County Labor Council
    • Seattle Labor Chorus
    • Seattle Municipal Archives
    • Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council
    • Washington State Labor Council
    • Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience