A Precedent for Today’s Political Violence
Illegal violence has always been a political tool, often serving the interests of the powerful. A historian looks at the case of 1930s Birmingham, Alabama.
When did May Day Turn Into an Immigrants’ Rights Day?
May Day has traditionally focused on labor and working class issues. Immigration and immigrant labor adds a new dimension to the holiday.
“Deaths of Despair”: What’s Really Killing Americans
Why a large swath of middle-aged, middle-class white Americans, especially those with lower levels of education, are dying more "deaths of despair."
Working More for Less: Dangers of the Gig Economy
The "gig economy" benefits startups and tech companies, but it may be unsustainable, and unethical for the economy, and workers, at large.
How America Tried (and Failed) to Solve Its “Servant Problem”
In the early part of the twentieth century, most middle-class American homes had at least one servant. Then the "servant problem" arose.
The Curious Character Who First Called For a General Strike
The idea of a general strike is to shut down all but essential services in a city, region, or nation. America has had its share. A Briton invented the idea.
Why Do We Take Pride in Working for a Paycheck?
In the modern imagination, work is a source of pride, but early labor unions regarded hourly toil in industry as "wage slavery."
The Black Panthers’ Unlikely Ally
Cesar Chavez's non-violent United Farm Workers and the militant Black Panthers aligned politically throughout the 60s and 70s.
The Checkered History of Colleges, Unions, and Scabs
In the early twentieth-century, some aristocratic college men were eager to prove their masculinity by working as strikebreakers.
The Psychological Origins of Procrastination—and How We Can Stop Putting Things Off
The psychology behind procrastination involves how we perceive of value,