‘Mobilizing in Our Own Name’ book explored at labor center webinar

From Clarence Thomas, author of “Mobilizing in Our Own Name: The Million Worker March”:

“On Nov. 18, I was honored to have the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, at the University of Washington in Seattle host a Zoom webinar for my book, ‘Mobilizing in our Name: Million Worker March,’ organized by Andrew Hedden, Associate Director of the Center. The moderator was Professor Peter Cole, professor of history at Western Illinois University.”

Panelists included Clarence Thomas, labor activist and longshore leader; Trent Willis, president ILWU Local 10 in San Francisco; Brenda Stokely, past president of Local 2015 and District Council 1707, AFSCME; Gabriel Prawl, past president ILWU Local 52 in Seattle; and Chris Silvera, secretary-treasurer (IBT), Teamsters Local 808 Long Island City, N.Y. The book’s editors, Delores Lemon-Thomas, Gloria Verdieu and designer Lallan Schoenstein were present during the panel.

“Mobilizing in Our Own Name” documents the story of radical African American trade unionists from one of the most renowned radical labor organizations in the world, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 10, that defied the Democratic Party and the AFL-CIO and mobilized the Million Worker March (MWM) on October 17, 2004, at the Lincoln Memorial.

The MWM called for an independent mobilization of working people, with a workers’ agenda to address the unrestrained class warfare by the captains of capital. This historic event, which was viewed on C-Span, attracted thousands of workers (organized and unorganized), immigrant rights groups, anti-war activists, community organizations, social movements, youth, and trade unionists from around the world.

This anthology captures radical workers’ actions and struggles written by activists as those events were happening through news articles, interviews, photos, posters, leaflets, and video transcripts.

For more information about the book, visit millionworkermarch.com