[Michlib-l] Program recommendation - Italian Hall disaster

[Mike Evans]

Interesting you brought this up Michael.  I recently attended the People's Institute at Circle Pines Center in Delton, MI.  One of the presenters was Alexandra Thebert, Executive Director of Save the Wild U.P.  Here is the synopsis of her presentation:  "Join Alexandra Thebert, Executive Director of Save the Wild U.P., to learn from successful campaign's in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This workshop will investigate how to build a strong grassroots movement in a poor area, and how to cut through the opposition's promise of Jobs! Jobs! Jobs!  We'll go over the strong tradition of unionization and labor organizing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, including the Italian Hall Massacre and the introduction of the pneumatic drill aka "the widow-maker," and how the call for employment isn't at odds with an environmental ethic-- in fact, they are allied in the same effort for a better world." 

Thebert brought up the unsustainability of the boom/bust phenomena associated with creating jobs around pillaging natural resources.  The U.P. is a perfect example.  A logical modern parallel in Michigan would be the pressure to make way for the fracking boom.  So, indeed, the 1913 story remains timely.

Mike Evans
Community Outreach Coordinator
Hastings Public Library
________________________________________
From: michlib-l-bounces at mail.mcls.org [michlib-l-bounces at mail.mcls.org] on behalf of Michael McGuire [mdmcguire at yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 5:48 PM
To: michlib-l at mail.mcls.org
Subject: [Michlib-l] Program recommendation - Italian Hall disaster

The Italian Hall disaster in Calumet, Michigan is one of the great unsolved mysteries of Michigan history. It involved the deaths of over 70 people - mostly children. It was, whether intended or not, a mass homicide.

The tragedy evokes a lot of emotion in the area still. It is a really fascinating event that people continue to study today.

The great Woody Guthrie wrote a famous song based on the 1913 Massacre as it was sometimes called.

http://1913massacre.com/about-the-song/

There was a film done as well. There is a link, below, for a synopsis and the trailer for the film including Arlo Guthrie and a bit of the song by Woody Guthrie, too. Nice film based on the song. Don’t know how it would work with the live presentation.

http://1913massacre.com/about/

 Michael D. McGuire
Grand Rapids, MI
mdmcguire at yahoo.com