Notes on the 1946 General Strike

With Boots Riley & Raymond Albert. This 2012 video from the Oakland Standard is 10 minutes of pure enjoyment: a lot of 1946 General Strike info, with some local concert history thrown in. Watch, learn, & love!

And many thanks to the Oakland Museum of California for helping to make this video a reality.

Alice Street Mural Project - detail

Fight or be Slaves

I acquired this book from the Oakland Public Library over the weekend. I think I'm going to enjoy reading it - I don't belong to a union, but have long been fascinated with stories of labor struggles, and am looking forward to hearing about these struggles in a local context.

From the publisher's website:  The Oakland-East Bay labor movement has been overshadowed for far too long by attention to San Francisco. The East Bay has a rich, militant and surprisingly independent history. Fight or Be Slaves, the title taken from a statement by C.L. Dellums, Oakland's Vice President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, sets East Bay history in context of national events using extensive primary and secondary sources. Struggles against union-busting and concessions take the story to the present time, when hundreds of East Bay unionists went to Seattle to protest against the World Trade Organization. Sensitive to issues of class, race, and gender, Fight or Be Slaves is filled with vignettes that bring to life the story of workers in struggle.

A little more background about C.L. Dellums' fight: .... In August 1937 the Brotherhood finally won a contract with Pullman. It was the first economic agreement ever signed between African Americans and a white institution. It sent the message of unionism to the black community nationally.
Dellums became a major figure in Oakland's African American community, heading up the NAACP and bringing its support to the 1946 Oakland General Strike.

The Activist Artwork of Emory Douglas

Emory Douglas was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 thru the time of its disbandment. While with the Party he used his art to communicate the group's message & mission - he is still active in the protest community. 

The following 10-minute clip gives a good introduction to his style & opinions.

I'd like to get ahold of his book - Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas

Some examples of his work:

 

August 2015 - OAKLAND PROTEST HISTORY

My task this month is to read up on the history behind some of Oakland's social-justice movements & protests: Labor struggles, Black Panthers, Occupy Oakland, and others. As this is my personal-learning blog, it's going to focus on what I've learned, and possibly include my opinions, but I'm not going to be presenting anything as A Fact That You Must Believe: I'm simply sharing what I learn as I go. There is a LOT to cover, and I don't expect to become all-wise on any of these issues in the next 30-ish days, but I do hope to gain a broader depth of knowledge on topics that have intrigued me for years. And it's another excuse to go take photos of Oakland!

Photo by Robert Galbraith  /  Reuters

 

Month Seven: In Conclusion

It feels good to be back. This was an easy month - photos of spoon & forks! But really, cutlery is pretty important to me, and I'm glad I had this little forum in which to express my excitement, even a little bit.

Let's talk about it in person. I'd like to hear about your favorite style of knife.

In Korea, chopsticks are made of metal, and are accompanied by a beautiful long-handled shallow-bowled spoon. I am a complete devotee to all of this.  I like the idea that chopsticks are incorporated into the standard silverware family, and that spoon style is both elegant and utilitarian. win-win-win.