My day on Capitol Hill with Gladys Marin
The death of Chilean Communist Party leader Gladys Marin at age 63 brought back memories of a day in 1974 that I spent with her and her interpreter on Capitol Hill visiting the offices of senators and representatives.
Unionism doesnt mean go it alone
The opposite of unionism is “go it alone.” According to some recent suggestions in the American labor movement, that’s what some top office-holders would like to see. They want to lessen their financial commitment to the AFL-CIO federation, ostensibly so that they can spend more money on organizing projects.
English Only ambushes democracy
“Pressure building for a national language,” screams the headline in the ultra-rightist Washington Times. The article summarizes a report by US English, Inc., which tells us that 322 languages are spoken in this country. Of these, 24 are spoken in every state and the District of Columbia.
Hopeful signs on public education
As a former teacher, I follow education news with great interest. Recently, I’ve had reason to feel hope for the future of public education in this country.
Gunner Palace: Cinema vrit misses the mark
Deciding to see “Gunner Palace,” a documentary about U.S. troops in Iraq, is a little like buying a luscious red apple in wintertime. You bite in with high hopes but immediately experience something pulpy and tasteless.
Poet donates fee to Colombian unions
The Coca-Cola Co. provided $1,200 to bring poet Martin Espada to Kansas University on March 10. Espada, a Latino poet who has published seven collections, plans to donate the money to a union for workers at Colombian Coca-Cola plants — a union that Espada believes has been decimated by unfair and sometimes brutal labor practices, according to news reports.
Breaking the silence on the war
PHILADELPHIA — The “Break the Silence Bus Tour” arrived here April 5. The tour, which is dedicated to speaking out for peace, began the day before, on the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, at New York City’s Riverside Church.
Whats on
Chicago, LA, St. Louis, Tucson,
When men cry: Argentinas factory takeovers
There’s a moment in “The Take,” a recent Canadian documentary about the Popular People’s Power Movement in Argentina, that really grabs you.
April movie mania in Chicago
CHICAGO — The nation’s largest, longest and oldest film festival will be held here April 8-20 at the Landmark, Piper’s Alley, and Facets theaters. The 21st Chicago Latino Film Festival’s 58 features and 81 shorts, representing a total of 44 countries, will be premiered.
