artwork by alejandra lemus
Hey Sunflowers! Happy May Day!
I know this comes a day late, but the message rings true no matter the time of year. It's important to remember our history, remember our roots, and continue to care for and love one another. This is why I spent the majority of the day yesterday marching, speaking, and educating myself and those around me about May Day.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/vWitnypmpWQ
Hush now that screaming in my mind….
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There’s so much that’s kept quiet, overlooked, ignored - a lot of warning signs that things can get far worse than they are now if we let them be.
We live in a world that feels more ridiculous and hopeless each day. And we get used to it.
But not today. Today we stand up fight back!
May Day is celebrated all over the world as a celebration of labor rights movements and honoring all of us putting in countless hours of blood sweat and tears. WHY NOT HERE?
I want to tell you the story of the way we have come together time and time again - to take care of each other, to support each other, and remember our humanity when the billionaires have forgotten theirs!
Chicago organized in 1867 and went on strike to demand an 8-hour work day. The strike lasted a week, disrupting the wealthy, and resulting in a bill approving the 8-hour work day. There was a loophole though, allowing employers to continue to contract workers for longer shifts in unsafe conditions, proving this bill to be a joke.
But Chicago, we don’t give up! 20 years later — On May 1st 1886, we went on strike again, demanding the 8-hour work day be enforced. On May 3rd, police responded with violence at the McCormick Center. On May 4th, we responded with a rally at Haymarket Square - that was met by an anonymous bombing.
This caused a ruckus so big, the rest of the world heard it too!! People needed to point fingers, and immigrants, labor rights leaders, and anarchists were blamed. Ever heard of the Chicago 8? (I recommend reading up on this part too!)
The events that transpired on May 4th got global attention, inspiring movements around the world for workers rights, and turning May Day into an international workers rights day - for all!! Immigrants and organizers and people of any race and identity alike!!
However, this incidient did not get us the 8 hour work day. We don't see this shift in federal legislation until President Teddy Roosevelt includes it in teh New Deal of 1938.
Yes - the people who fought for these rights likely didn't get to enjoy them. Further, in the U.S. the rich lobbied the government to move May Day to September to make workers forget their own roots - forget everything we’ve fought for.
Clearly there is still work to be done.
Why is this important?
Living in today's climate certainly feels like unprecedented times, and can feel incredibly hopeless - like why even try if it's just going to stay bad? But we forget that things have always been kinda bad and that we always figure out a way to make things better.
Change takes time. Change takes risk. Change takes love.
So we just gotta keep on hoping.
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Yesterday I released “Whistle In The Woods” to bandcamp!!!!
I wrote this song as a declaration of staying alert. As an invitation calling all those around me to get up and pay attention, be ready. I believe in the humanity we each inherently have, and I will not stop fighting for our rights to live our lives the way we choose and be happy, safe, seen, connected. Will you join me?
https://sunflowersummit.bandcamp.com/track/whistle-in-the-woods-2
Whistle in the Woods will hit streaming on May 22nd, and you can pre-save here.
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Why do you march? What do you fight for? Feel free to reply back and let me know <3