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ILHS had a great turnout for its 2011 May Day events:

Schedule of May Day Activities

Featured Event:

Rededicating the Haymarket Martyrs Monument
May 1 at 1 PM.
2011 will mark the restoration and rededication of the Haymarket Martyrs' Monument, the statue of liberty for workers around the world. As a symbol of international labor solidarity, come together to honor our history and remember that the only way to stop the worldwide assault on working people by corporate greed is to stand together.  More Info

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All activities co-sponsored by the Illinois Labor History Society and Portoluz

Tuesday, April 12, 7:00 PM
Forum: “The Meaning of the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument Restoration
Oak Park Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park
On April 12, ILHS President Larry Spivack and Mark Rogovin, a project coordinator for the ILHS publication The Day Will Come, will be speaking at a special program on the history of the Haymarket Martyrs and the restoration of the monument that honors them. They will be joined by statue conservator Andrzej Dajnowski.
Watch videos of this event!

Monday, April 25, 6:00 PM
Getting the Voice of Workers Heard
Loud & Clear — from Haymarket to the Present
Haymarket Brewery and Pub, Randolph & Halsted
A panel of labor journalists including Steve Franklin, David Moberg, Kari Lydersen, Jeremy Gantz, and Estelle Carol discuss media coverage of the workers’ story yesterday and today.


Wednesday, April 27, 6:00 PM
Screening of Documentary Film on Sacco & Vanzetti
Haymarket Brewery and Pub, Randolph & Halsted
Following the showing, Professor Alison Fraunhar will lead a discussion of the film and the Sacco & Vanzetti case. Music will be provided by the group Mezcolanza. Flyer

Thursday, April 28, 6:00 PM
Panel Discussion on Constitutional Issues for the Workers Movement from Haymarket to the Present
Newberry Library, 60 West Walton
This event is co-sponsored by a number of Chicago-area lawyers’ organizations. A panel will examine and debate legal issues in the Haymarket Tragedy and their implications for today. Free reception begins at 7:30 PM.

Friday, April 29, 5:30 PM
Public Release of the Updated & Expanded Edition of
The Day Will Come
Gage Gallery, 18 South Michigan Ave, Chicago
Issued in 1994, this ILHS publication contains a mapping and brief biographies of the men and women who are buried or have their ashes scattered alongside the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument. The newly expanded edition will be introduced by project coordinator Mark Rogovin. Free reception with music provided by the Chicago Federation of Musicians. Complimentary beer and wine donated by the Haymarket Brewery & Pub. Also view the Gage Gallery photo exhibit, “The Working Class Eye of Milton Rogovin.”

Saturday, April 30, 2:00 PM
Plaque Dedication & Reenactment of the Haymarket Tragedy
Haymarket Square, Randolph & Des Plaines, Chicago
ILHS will formally dedicate a prominent bronze plaque on the Haymarket statue to mark the 125th Anniversary of the Haymarket tragedy. The ceremony will be capped by a reenactment of the Haymarket events directed by stager Paul Durica. We need hundreds of our supporters, who will be aided by professional actors and musicians, to take part in portraying the crowd of workers present on the scene 125 years ago.

Sunday evening, May 1st, 7:00 PM
Special May Day Concert
Old Town School of Folk Music
4544 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago
Local artists coordinated by Bucky Halker will pay musical tribute to the 125th anniversary of the Haymarket Tragedy. Tickets are $15 and are available online at www.oldtownschool.org or by calling the box office at (773)-728-6000.

All programs are free and open to the public.
www.illinoislaborhistory.org
www.portoluz.org

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You can make a difference in the activities of the ILHS by volunteering your time and skills. As a small, nonprofit organization, we need volunteers for both particular events and occasional office work. If you can do any of the following, please contact us:

• data entry
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• scanning photographs and documents
• website projects
• archive processing
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Your donations are the primary source of our ability to continue to provide educational programming & curricula, maintenance of the Haymarket Martyrs Monument, and giving tours.  These are just a few of the things we do with your generosity.  Almost no one else does what we do to keep labor history alive.

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Your membership is one of the best ways to support ILHS's efforts to keep labor history alive for workers, students, and the public. By remembering our past, we are building our future!

As a membership organization it is vital that as many people as possible with our common interest of educating others about labor history. Join the ILHS.  As we grow, so too will our outreach to union members, the general public, and other institutions.  Events such as the Haymarket Tragedy, the Pullman Strike, and the Cherry Mine Disaster are generally not told in books, television, or other media.  This forgotten history teaches us much about how to build a movement of social and economic justice.  Your membership is essential to keeping labor history alive.

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