Election results have yet to come in as I write this. We are all wondering whether the election will be resolved in a day or two or if something will occur that drags this out.

Participatory Democracy

I write to remind you that no matter what the results, we live in a participatory democracy. If your candidate(s) don’t win, there will be the temptation to curl up in a ball and try to shut the world out. But that won’t help.

No matter how the election turns out, the new president is not sworn in until January 20, 2025. There may be lots of talk about what the winning candidate wants to do when he or she takes office, but nothing official can happen until that time. What’s more, the founding father established a system of “checks and balances” so that no one section of the government has too much power. A divided Congress will indeed make it more difficult for the winning candidate to accomplish goals, but it also assures us that both parties are represented to decide our way forward.

We will need to address issues like these:  How can we manage immigration? What’s to be done about prices? Climate change means sacrifice. Are we ready to make changes so we can give a healthier world to our children?

Do women truly deserve to have their medical decisions made by others. For fifty years, women showed that they could be good mothers and contributing members of society. Why don’t we give them back that power?

Deeply Unsettling Election

This election will long be remembered for its chaos, its change of candidate for the Democratic Party, and of course, its acrimony and unacceptable name-calling of people who have put aside their lives in order to run for different positions in local, state, and national government.

Americans on both sides stepped forward to participate in the campaign process from attending events to making phone calls, knocking on doors, and sending postcards. Not since women worked long and hard for the right to vote has there been so much organized, [mostly] non-violent energy invested in our election process.

Voter turn-out may be record-setting as well.

Treasure What We Have Though it is Imperfect

We all must remember to treasure what we have— a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” We do not want it to “perish from this earth.”

Once this election is settled, there is still so much to do. This is our country. No matter who becomes president, violence or shutting out the world is not the answer. Our energy needs to go into work that makes us better. Whether it’s ladling out soup at a homeless shelter, cleaning up a local park or working through government channels to address local, state, or national issues, we can all find a place to invest our energy.

Don’t waste it on anger or regret. No matter who wins, our communities still need us.

And if your candidate wins, reach out to others in the community who might have voted differently. Wait a few weeks, so tensions may ease, but our country needs all of us to move forward together. If you’re packing lunches for the homeless at your church or synagogue or community center, it doesn’t matter how you cast your ballot. There are plenty of things we can all do together.

The election on November 5 provides a “chance for change.” It’s up to us to help bring about the change we want. This is the very essence of a participatory democracy. Americans have died in wars and on our own streets fighting for the rights that should be a “given” in a country like America.

We cannot let them down.

Today Labor Day is primarily thought of as the long weekend that marks the end of summer, but Labor Day began as an outgrowth of the labor movement.

Labor unions saw it as a way to recognize worker rights, and to acknowledge the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

The First Labor Day

The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated in 1882 in New York City. By 1884, additional cities throughout the United States were following New York City’s lead. The first Monday in September soon became the “workingmen’s holiday.”

In 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed  a bill pronouncing that Labor Day would be officially celebrated on the first Monday of September. His motivation was in response to the Pullman strike of that year. When the Pullman workers refused to work because of low pay and miserable work conditions, their actions halted rail traffic. A federal judge issued an injunction, and President Cleveland sent in federal troops to get the trains rolling again. Strike-breaking was not popular, so Cleveland needed a way hold on to votes.

The bill acknowledging Labor Day gave the president a way to recognize workers and their unions. In recognition of Labor Day, I scrolled through my website and thought it appropriate to highlight some of the stories of workers and their accomplishments:

The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters

While the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was not formed until 1925, the agitation of 1894 over low pay and poor working conditions by the Pullman employees was noted. Eventually, the Brotherhood was formed, and it was the first organization for African Americans to be recognized by the American Federation of Labor (formed in 1886).

A. Philip Randolph, a businessman outside the organization, was chosen to run the Brotherhood and was very effective. Read about the Brotherhood’s wins and losses, here: The Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

The factory fire that occurred in New York City in 1911 was the deadliest industrial accident in the history of New York City and one of the worst work disasters since mass production of products began. The tragedy eventually led to improvements in workplace safety, but it took many years.

The disaster was caused by three components:  

1. As the women sat at their sewing machines on floors 7-9 of the Brown building in Greenwich Village, the fabric cuttings and dust from their work collected on the floor. It was not swept away until after closing each day. This left much material that could burn.
2. Factory owners often locked exits during the work day to prevent workers from leaving.
3. When the horse-drawn fire wagons arrived, none of the ladders reached as high as the factory floors. There was no way to rescue the people, and the fire hoses had difficulty shooting up high enough to reach the upper floors.

One hundred and forty-six people—mostly women—were killed in the fire.  To read more, click on The Triangle Factory Fire and Why It Matters Today.

The Bracero Program

During World War II, many Americans joined the military. Others were needed to work in defense jobs. As a result, more people were needed to work on the farms and feed both civilians and the military.

In 1942, the United States and Mexico formed a partnership known as the Bracero Program. It gave workers from Mexico temporary work papers to come to the U.S. They were to be provided safe housing and meals.

The program was vital to the agricultural industry in the United States during the war. In some locations, the program worked well for immigrants. Unfortunately, too often workers were exploited. Read What Was the U.S. Bracero Program?

Dolores Huerta, Labor Organizer

Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta are two important names in California. As labor leaders and civil rights activists, they co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) at a time when it was badly needed. Farm workers performed back-breaking labor over the course of long days in the hot sun. In 1965, Huerta and Chavez launched one of the most important strikes in U.S. history. Over 2,000 mostly Filipino-American farm workers refused to pick grapes in the grape region near Bakersfield, California.

While it took five years to spearhead change, Chavez and Huerta set in motion consumer boycotts which eventually led to slight improvements in the work situation for agricultural workers. To read more about Dolores Huerta, clock here.

Luisa Moreno, Fought for Food-Processing Workers

Luisa Moreno became one of the prime organizers to protest against the poor working conditions in canneries and food-processing plants in the southwest.  On behalf of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (a federation of many unions), she formed the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA). In organizing this group she brought thousands of Mexican food-processing workers (primarily women) into the ranks of organized labor. Here’s the story of Luisa Moreno.

Mary Heaton Vorse, Journalist and Crusader for Worker Rights

Luisa Moreno became one of the prime organizers to protest against the poor working conditions in canneries and food-processing plants in the southwest.  On behalf of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (a federation of many unions), she formed the United Cannery, Agricultural, Packing and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA). In organizing this group she brought thousands of Mexican food-processing workers (primarily women) into the ranks of organized labor. Here’s the story of Mary Heaton Vorse.

Garrett Morgan: Inventor Led to Gains in Worker Safety

In addition to good pay and decent working conditions, safety equipment is vital to many professions, but assessing what is necessary for each profession takes time and experimentation.  

The safety hood—later known as the gas mask—was one big step forward. It was needed in many types of work ranging from mining and digging as well as to aid the military. The gas mask was invented by a Black inventor, Garrett Morgan, who received great publicity for the hood when he was called to help with a rescue under Lake Erie in his hometown of Clevland. When a tunnel collapsed and men were trapped, both Morgan and his brother took safety hoods and went in to help with the rescue. To read more about Garrett Morgan, click here: Garrett A. Morgan: Successful Inventor of Safety Hood/Traffic Signal.

The Old Newsboys Goodfellow Fund of Detroit has existed since 1914 as a way to assure that children not be forgotten at Christmas time. More than a century later, the Fund remains a well-respected civic institution. In addition to their holiday mission, they now provide school supplies, dental health care, summer camp scholarships, and grants-in-aid to attend Wayne State University.

Perhaps the organization’s staying power is partially explained by the fact that it grew from a compilation of well-intended forces. It is a tale of community-minded citizens wanting to do good and desiring to establish positive examples for young people who might grow up to be leaders in Detroit.

Vision for Giving

The vision for the Fund came from former newsboy and Detroit businessman James J. Brady (1878-1925).

In the early 1920s after the Fund was well-established, Brady was interviewed by a reporter from The New York World. The reporter asked about his wealth, perhaps thinking that Brady funded the effort. Brady responded with his true contribution: “Why I am the richest man in Detroit because I have more friends than any man here.”

His capacity for friendship gave him the ability to inspire the volunteers he needed to accomplish his goal.

Family Struggles of the Early Twentieth Century

In the late 1890s, cities had few social safety nets for the poor. Families were big, and if income was inadequate, older children sometimes moved out and tried to make their own way. Other times, they got work as errand runners or newsboys and brought home what money they made.

During the holidays, a few charities would try to help, but the assistance in all cities was spread unevenly, and the problems were overwhelming.

The Inspiration of Editorial Cartoons

During that time, newspapers, sold by newsboys, were the primary way of spreading the news. Editorial cartoons carried particular heft. They were easy to glance at, and readers came away with a message. Two cartoons that ran in Detroit early in the century helped draw attention to the plight of the poor.

The first cartoon appeared in 1908 and was drawn by Thomas May. (Thomas May’s own story is re-published in The Story of the Goodfellows written by Ernest Philip LaJoie in 1938.)  In 1907, the May family housekeeper arrived the day after Christmas telling a sad story. On her way to work, she encountered a little girl sobbing on a street corner: Christmas was over and Santa had left nothing for her.

The housekeeper wanted to comfort the little girl and told her that because Santa had such a long list of places to visit, many gifts were delivered the day after Christmas.

The woman then went directly to the May household and requested the family’s help in putting together a Christmas for the little girl.

“Forgotten”

The next year, Thomas May remembered the incident and drew a scene of a little girl crying alone in her attic room. He entitled it, “Forgotten.”

When May submitted it to his boss at The Detroit Journal, the editor said, “We can’t use that, Tom. It will spoil Christmas for a lot of people.”

May responded that he wanted to spoil Christmas for every man and woman in Detroit who remembered only themselves at Christmastime.

The cartoon ran, and people were moved.

The Detroit Journal heard from so many readers they created the “Forgotten” Club” to provide a way to accept donations from readers. Other newspapers followed suit. The name, “Goodfellow Club” was used by The Chicago Tribune and The Detroit News. In Detroit, the fund was overseen by the Old Newsboys Association and was initially for former newsboys down on their luck.

These clubs didn’t solve the problem of poverty, but at least they were a start.

Political Cartoon Inspires James Brady

Six years later. Detroit businessman James J. Brady was struck by another political cartoon. This one was by Burt Thomas, the cartoonist for The Detroit News. The drawing was of a well-to-do gentleman laden with packages for the poor. He was holding the hand of a young newsboy dressed in tattered clothing. The caption read, “The Boy He Used to Be.”

A former newsboy, Brady enjoyed great success in business. He had been a plant manager for carmaker Ransom E. Olds. He then moved on to a job in banking, and later, worked as a tax collector for the IRS. The tax collecting put him in direct contact with struggling families. He saw how difficult it was.

Brady consulted his friend E.J. Pipp, the managing editor at The Detroit News, explaining to Pipp he wanted to help these families. Pipp knew about the Goodfellow Fund run by the Newsboys Association and suggested Brady approach them about expanding their mission.

Brady, a magnetic man, approached his friends who were former newsboys and soon he had a plan.

Establishing the System

Newsboys of all ages always have their favorite corners. For two hours on a pre-planned day, the old newsboys would buy out the newspapers from the young boy currently working that corner.

The men then sold for charity for two hours. Some citizens could afford only a nickel for the paper; others would hand a $20 or $100 bill, knowing that no change was given. All money collected during the two-hour period went to create Christmas packages for the poor.

At the end of two hours the men returned to the newspaper offices to count and pool their take. Top fundraisers were announced. The men enjoyed teasing and competing again.

The First Year of the Old Newsboys

Jim Brady’s goal that first year was $400. He worried about failure, so in advance, he withdrew that amount from his savings account. If he needed to, he would supplement the amount raised.

He needn’t have worried. In 1914, 75 former newsboys brought in $2275, enough to buy toys for 3379 kids.

Each year the old newsboys outsold their previous year so they were able to grow and expand their purpose.  By 1919, the Goodfellow Fund and James Brady’s Old Newsboys combined to create what is still known as the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit. (Other cities have Goodfellow Clubs. All function a little differently and there is no expense of a national office.)

Tradition Expands and Continues

Candy, toys, gifts, and clothing were all part of the early packages. Early on, a much-coveted part of each package was a voucher for shoes. Regular kids often lacked footwear, but in the 1920s, more children had foot problems than we see today. The voucher allowed for those with special needs to be taken care of as well. Often this was their first pair of shoes, and it was truly appreciated. (The shoes program continues for qualified families.)

In 1924, dolls became a permanent addition. With the dolls came the ability to involve more of the community. The Fund purchased dolls in quantity that first year, and Detroit’s telephone operators (their “Hello Girls”) volunteered to create handmade dresses to clothe the dolls.

Soon there were annual contests for the best-dressed dolls, and the winning dolls were put on display in the windows of local merchants. The newspapers publicized the whereabouts of the dolls as they were moved from store to store during the month. Citizens would make a trip to town to see the dolls on display.

This additional publicity generated more sewing volunteers Today almost 11,000 dolls are still dressed by volunteers and there is a waiting list for people who want to help.

More Organizations Join In

An effective organization is like a magnet to other people who want to help, and that has certainly been true of the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund. At the outset, the Board of Education helped gather names of families who needed help though today names are gathered in other ways.

Initially, deliveries were made by the firemen and Boy Scouts. Soon the police pitched in, too. Now the program is so vast that gifts are delivered to distribution centers, and qualified families stop by to pick up their boxes. For many children, these are the only holiday gifts they will receive.

Over the years, many civic organizations have helped raise funds. From the Teachers Association to the Firemen’s Ball to a charity football game between the public and parochial high schools—community groups have found ways to participate.

A Century Later

A century later—2014—the Detroit News reported that more than 300 members now bring in more than a million dollars a year and over 35,000 boxes are filled with toys, clothes, books, and dolls. Gifts are distributed to families in Detroit, Highland Park, River Rouge, Hamtramck and Harper Woods.

The packages include a sweatshirt, sweatpants, socks, underwear, hat, gloves or mittens, dental kit, an application for a Detroit Public Library card, candy, four age-appropriate books, and four-five games or toys. Girls ages 4-9 still receive dolls dressed by volunteers.

Today the Sale Day is still held, and other organizations pitch in, but according to The Detroit News, about 80 percent of the money is now raised by members sending out personal letters to friends and family.  Several families—including the Bradys—who started the organization are still involved.

Current membership of the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund includes city dignitaries, judges, members of the police force as well as some former people who remember what receiving the Goodfellow gifts meant to them when they were growing up. (As newsboys became a thing of the past, the organization dropped the requirement that members be former newsboys.) The first women joined in 1975.

James Brady Legacy

James Brady died in 1925. He was only age 47, and it was just nine years after he organized the group.  When he started out to fulfill his wish that there be “No Kiddie without a Christmas,” he could not have dreamed of how big the organization would be or how long it has lasted.

Those who worked with him vowed that his efforts would not be forgotten. They raised the funds for a memorial statue that was unveiled in 1928, and still stands in Detroit’s beautiful Belle Isle Park.

The monument is of James Brady holding a newspaper. He has on an overcoat with a small girl by his side, protecting her.

Each side of the monument has a bronze tablet. On one side is a copy of Burt Thomas’s cartoon, “The Boy He Used to Be.” It says:

As our tribute to the spirit of charity this monument is affectionately dedicated to/the memory of James J. Brady, Founder of the Old Newsboys’ Goodfellow Fund of Detroit.

The other tablet shows “Forgotten,” and is inscribed:

Because he loved the children of the poor and devoted his life to good works, his friends have caused this monument to be created and erected.

And the work continues.

***

If any Detroit residents (or former residents) would like to tell me about yours—or a relative’s–experience with the Goodfellow Fund, please contact me: kate@americacomesalive.com

Those of us who were alive on September 11, 2001, will never forget that day.  Whether we witnessed it on television, from the streets of Manhattan or D.C., or from farther away, it was horrifying to see the tragedy unfold on that bright and beautiful day.

What We Can Do to Remember

I’ve given up the thought of ever forgetting, and I try to remember the importance of doing what I can to help others. Today with the clean-up from Hurricane Harvey still ongoing, and Hurricane Irma barreling down on Florida, it is easy to see there are so many things to do.

I always tell people, “Just choose something you like to do.  That task will be just right.” Even if you live far from the places where the hurricanes have hit, there are plenty of opportunities in each of our communities. Just pick one:

• If you’re worried about the homeless in your community, volunteer to help at a soup kitchen—one day or all year.
• Thinking about the elderly?  Meals on Wheels always needs volunteers to help out.
• Thinking of the soldiers who have joined the military to help keep our nation strong? Then check into Wounded Warriors or a local program that serves veterans in your area.
• Are you good at math?  Why not check to see if anyone in your town runs a program that needs volunteer tutors.
• If literacy is your concern, call your library.  A good number of libraries run excellent literacy programs staffed by well-trained volunteers.
• Your love of animals may seem less serious in light of human tragedy, but it’s still important. Volunteer to be a dog walker for an animal shelter. There is nothing you can do that is trivial. 

If none of these ideas seem right, visit Volunteer Match where you may find an organization in your area looking for your particular expertise.

If time is at a premium, don’t worry.  Organizations can always use cash. I’m particularly taken right now with Donors Choose, an organization that lets teachers post very specific classroom needs.  It’s organized geographically so you are able to select a school near you.  The teachers and students are very good at saying thank you.

Vote!

And no matter what you do, vote every time an election opportunity comes around.  In our country, power really does belong to the people.  We just need to take advantage of it to keep our country strong.

As the Pledge of Allegiance became more widely accepted after its introduction in 1892, various groups weighed in on the wording.  There have been alterations from the original wording penned by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931):

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

One change was spearheaded by the American Legion and the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1923 the groups pushed for “my flag” to be replaced by “the Flag of the United States of America.” The organizations felt that with so many immigrants coming to the country that it was important for newcomers to affirm their loyalty to the U.S. 

In 1954 Congress added the words “under God,” to the pledge. This campaign was led by the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization.

The addition of “under God” has led to numerous court challenges from people who cite the Constitution’s First Amendment specifying that Congress shall not make any laws pertaining to establishment of religion. Many believe that a pledge of patriotism should not be tied to a belief in God.  Thus far the legal challenges have been unsuccessful.

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Changes in the Way We Recognize the Flag (the Salute)

Today when we say the Pledge of Allegiance, we have learned to place our right hand over our heart as we recite the words. The original salute was very different. It was called a military salute, and it consisted of the right arm extended upward, with the palm down slightly. This was the form schoolchildren and members of the public were taught to use when they said the Pledge from 1892 on.

Today, of course, that is the arm gesture that we associate with “Heil Hitler.”  It began being used officially in Nazi Germany in 1933 when the Nazis passed a law that stated that all employees of the state were to be saluted in that way and violators would be punished.

This stirred a big reaction among Americans though it took almost

ten years to pass a new law.  In December of 1942 Congress passed an amendment that specified that the pledge “should be rendered by standing at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.”

Is the Pledge of Allegiance Still Widely Used?

Today most states provide time for schools to say the pledge, though it is still at the discretion of the local school board and/or the individual teacher. Five states do not have this provision (Hawaii, Iowa, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Wyoming).

To read about how the Pledge of Allegiance came into existence, read “Writing the Pledge of Allegiance.“

This weekend we mark the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who changed America, and was only 39 when he was killed for making those changes.

Civil rights leader and Nobel Prize Winner Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) was a Baptist minister and father of four, who believed in social change through peaceful means. He was inspirational in word and deed. We can only wish he had had more years to share with us his guidance. In his memory, I have pulled the following quotes. They are meaningful to me and I hope to you as well:

• The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

• Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.

• A right delayed is a right denied.

• All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

• Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

• All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem.

King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968 when he was in town to appear at an event being held in support of striking garbage workers.