Walk Explores Hidden History of DC Labor

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)"At the banquet table of nature there are no reserved seats,” read Richard Renner from the plaque on the bust of labor leader and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph in Union Station. “You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold. If you can't take anything, you can't get anything and if you can't hold anything, you won't keep anything. And you can't take anything without organizing." Renner was participating in the June 16 DC Labor Walk led by the Metro Washington Council’s Chris Garlock, who noted that “There are many monuments in DC, but very few about labor history.” The Walk attracted 16 participants, raising nearly $300 for DC Jobs with Justice and stopped at a number of other labor history sites in downtown DC, concluding with a visit to the Lumen Winter mosaics at AFL-CIO headquarters. Check out Renner’s extensive photos and report on his blog which includes reporting by 11-year-old junior journalist Diego A. Esparza. Renner is the Legal Director for the National Whistleblowers Center. For inquiries about organizing or attending a DC Labor Walk, email streetheat@dclaborarchives.org. - photo of tour by Richard Renner