‘Raise Your Voice’ Archives
UNITED WE RISE, DIVIDED WE FALL
from the series Raise Your Voice... By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Most of our neighbors are familiar with the 11th Avenue bridge as a way of crossing Interstate 94 to access Elliot Park. However, most are likely unfamiliar with the zigzag required to locate 620 12th Avenue South, the headquarters of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 563. LIUNA represents workers who build roads and bridges, schools, hospitals and energy systems. They also played host to a race and labor history training with the caption: UNITED WE RISE, DIVIDED WE FALL.The Workers Confluence Fund spawned the event via the Minneapolis Labor Center. Justice educator from Seattle Mark McDermott presented slides and commentary, which induced round table discussions between an array of union members and folks from community organizations. Centro De Trabajadores Unidos En La Lucha (CTUL) was present. The English/Spanish translation was excellent.According to plan, the round tables [...]
Jim Brown’s Ghost
from the Series Raise Your Voice... By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Jim (a.k.a. Jack) lived much of his later years at 2517/2519 17th Avenue. He was a descendant of the Sami people, the reindeer pastoralists of Norway and Sweden, who had fled north as per an influx of landholding farmers. Naturally, Jim identified with the indigenous people of the Americas. Note: our Norway House and the American Swedish Institute are local sources of Sami history in the Phillips Community. Some 25 years ago, Jim found me turning soil in the 17th Avenue Community Garden. The time had come for us to distribute the People’s World, a product of an entity affectionately referred to here as the “Community Party”. Hey, as a skilled mechanic, Jim served in two theaters of the war to preserve democracy against the forces of fascism. Were he still alive, would he support Trump’s plan to burn the planet under a fossil fuel dictatorship… a plan where their offspring survives and ours [...]
Parks for the People
from the series Raise Your Voice By PETER MOLENAAR Peter Molenaar Representative Ilhan Omar spoke in solidarity with our park workers. PHOTO: Peter Molenaar For this year’s July 4th, I celebrated our nation’s first revolution by attending a rally at the Minneapolis Labor Center. Over 300 parks workers had gone on strike. “Solidarity Forever” was the theme.Why would a retired foundry worker like me bother to support parks workers? Here is the answer: Park workers create beautiful sanctuaries for people like me and you. Should we not pay them a decent wage? Hey, no more tax breaks for the rich folks, please, and for God’s sake, no more costly wars.Remember the ancient cormorants which visit Powderhorn Park every year… the ducks, geese, and the occasional loon… even the soaring eagle which inspired the fancy dancer at Cedar Field. This is why we love our park workers! Solidarity forever! Peter Molenaar advocates a broad united-front, even as he describes [...]
