Nilde Iotti, the daughter of a railway worker, was the first woman to become president of the Italian Chamber of Deputies for three consecutive legislatures from 1979 to 1992. Born in Reggio Emilia, she took …
American History
Coal Country
On 28 March, 1977, the film, ‘Harlan County, USA’ was awarded the ‘Best Documentary’ Oscar at the 49th Annual Academy Awards. The film, which chronicles a protracted struggle of 180 miners and their wives against the …
Crime and Cover-up
It was on 21 March, 1973, that White House Counsel John W. Dean III (pictured above) informed President Nixon that “there is a cancer on the Presidency” in reference to the expanding nature of the Watergate …
No Irish Need Apply
17 March is ‘St. Patrick’s Day’, an occasion on which Irish throughout the United States will celebrate their identity. The US was not always so welcoming however to those who arrived from the ‘Emerald Isle’. …
Grand Old Party
It was on this date, 29 February, in 1956, that William J. Campbell, often credited with being the founder of the modern Wisconsin Republican Party, died. It was Campbell, a lumber company executive, and member …
Fred Hampton – This week’s profile in Black History
Illinois native Fred Hampton rose to national prominence as an activist and organizer with the Black Panther Party. He was shot to death while sleeping at his apartment during a raid by a tactical unit …
Frank Lumpkin – This week’s profile in Black History
The son of a sharecropper and Merchant Marine veteran, Frank Lumpkin, known as ‘The Saint of Chicago’, was an African-American steelworker who organized the ‘Save our Jobs Committee’ on behalf the workers at WISCONSIN STEEL …
44 and Counting
16 February marks ‘President’s Day’, here are a few lesser known facts about the men who have held the top job. James K. Polk was the first President to be elected before reaching the age …
Legendary Organizer
14 February marks the anniversary of the birth of James R. Hoffa in 1913. Hoffa was President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1958 to 1971. Hoffa left school at 14 to work as …
Citizen 13660
10 February marks the birthday of Mine Okubo in Riverside, California in 1912. Okubo is best known for her graphic illustrated memoir in which she told the story of her families internment during World War …