Studs was recently on MSNBC's Donahue show. I caught that, but missed the A&E special on Ehrenreich's _Nickel & Dimed_. - Brian
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Speak Out Against Injustice, says Famed Oral Historian Michael Leland Chicago 28 Aug 2002 12:56 UTC
One of the best-known oral historians in the United States says Americans need to be more willing to speak out against injustices in the workplace and elsewhere in society. But Chicago-based writer and activist Studs Terkel says the economic downturn and last year's terrorist attacks on the United States seem to have left many Americans less inclined to express outrage.
Studs Terkel has written numerous books over the years, in which ordinary people tell their stories about life at work, race relations, death and other matters. He calls it, "celebrating the uncelebrated."
"If I ask any student, 'Who built the pyramids?' the immediate reaction is, 'The Pharaohs!' The Pharaohs did not lift a finger. Mrs. Pharaoh's hands were as immaculately manicured as were [the actress] Elizabeth Taylor's as Cleopatra," related Mr. Terkel, speaking recently at the American Psychological Association meeting in Chicago. He expressed worries over increasing unemployment and the growth of low-wage jobs, without benefits like health care in the United States. He says if there were ever a time for workers to speak out, this is it.
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"And Mr. Block thinks he may / Be President some day." - Joe Hill, "Mr. Block"