SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A migrant cotton worker in 1940. Photo by Dorothea Lange, who memorably documented workers' struggles during the Depression.
The Hands of Laborers
On this May Day, as workers rally and protest and struggle to organize at once-invincible behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, we pay tribute to all those who have come before. In the looking back, both mournful and inspiring, we also give thanks to those who documented their battles, from Dorothea Lange to Phil Ochs. From his little-known "Hands": "Now the hand of the laborer is reaching out to you."
May 01, 2022
On this May Day, as workers rally and protest and struggle to organize at once-invincible behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, we pay tribute to all those who have come before, fighting for their, for all of our, basic rights. In the looking back, both mournful and inspiring, we also give thanks to those who recorded their battles, from Dorothea Lange documenting the Depression to Phil Ochs in his little-known "Hands." Pat Humphries covered it as well. From Hands, remember: "The hand of the laborer is reaching out to you." With hat tip to Joshua.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Abby Zimet
Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, hauling water and writing before moving to Portland. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: azimet18@gmail.com
On this May Day, as workers rally and protest and struggle to organize at once-invincible behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, we pay tribute to all those who have come before, fighting for their, for all of our, basic rights. In the looking back, both mournful and inspiring, we also give thanks to those who recorded their battles, from Dorothea Lange documenting the Depression to Phil Ochs in his little-known "Hands." Pat Humphries covered it as well. From Hands, remember: "The hand of the laborer is reaching out to you." With hat tip to Joshua.
Abby Zimet
Abby Zimet has written CD's Further column since 2008. A longtime, award-winning journalist, she moved to the Maine woods in the early 70s, where she spent a dozen years building a house, hauling water and writing before moving to Portland. Having come of political age during the Vietnam War, she has long been involved in women's, labor, anti-war, social justice and refugee rights issues. Email: azimet18@gmail.com
On this May Day, as workers rally and protest and struggle to organize at once-invincible behemoths like Starbucks and Amazon, we pay tribute to all those who have come before, fighting for their, for all of our, basic rights. In the looking back, both mournful and inspiring, we also give thanks to those who recorded their battles, from Dorothea Lange documenting the Depression to Phil Ochs in his little-known "Hands." Pat Humphries covered it as well. From Hands, remember: "The hand of the laborer is reaching out to you." With hat tip to Joshua.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.