Join us for part two of our discussion of Subterranean Fire: A History of Working-Class Radicalism in the United States by Sharon Smith.For the Second part of the discussion we will cover the last two parts of the book (parts 3 & 4), taking us from WWII through the cold war, the 60's radicalization, the employers offensive of the 70s, Neoliberalism and the Neocons. We'll also discuss what has changed since the book was written and Bush was in power.
This accessible, critical history of the U.S. labor movement examines the hidden history of workers’ resistance from the nineteenth century to the present. Workers in the U.S. have a rich tradition of fighting back which remains largely hidden. Subterranean Fire brings that history to light and reveals its lessons for today.
The title is taken from the inspiring words of August Spies, a U.S. radical and labor activist executed during the fight for the eight-hour day. He said, “If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labor movement, then hang us. Here you will tread upon a spark, but here, and there, and behind you, and in front of you, the flames will blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out. The ground is on fire upon which you stand.” These words remain fundamentally true today, as Sharon Smith demonstrates by tracing the legacy of worker’s struggle from August Spies’ days to the present.
You can pick up the book at any ISO tabling event or buy it online from Haymarket Books
