Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?

On this week’s Labor Heritage Power Hour, we open with a tribute to the late Tom Lehrer, the sharp-witted satirist who reminded us that protest songs can be powerful and hilarious. His classic “The Folk Song Army” kicks off a show that digs deep into the contradictions of American progress.

We mark the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal with a revealing conversation between author Mark S. Ferrara and labor educator Linda Donahue, who explore the hidden histories of the immigrant diggers, displaced communities, orphan mule drivers, and working-class women who built and lived along the canal. Ferrara’s book The Raging Erie tells a vivid and unsettling story of how labor shaped — and was shaped by — one of the nation’s greatest infrastructure projects.

Then, we turn to Charlie King, who reflects on the chilling echoes of McCarthyism in the 1980s when American Express asked potential Louisville workers: “Are you now or have you ever been a member of a union?” His response: a stirring modern protest song that’s as relevant today as ever.

Plus: your weekly Labor History in 2:00 from Rick Smith.

The Labor Heritage Power Hour originates on WPFW 89.3FM in Washington, DC. and is broadcast on stations across the Pacifica network.
Hosted by Chris Garlock and Elise Bryant; produced by Chris Garlock; engineered by Mike Nasella & Kahlia Chapman.
The Labor Heritage Power Hour is a member of the Labor Radio Podcast Network.

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