The History of May Day: A Resource Guide for Students and Educators

POLICE INSPECTOR BONFIELD of Chicago - The Throwing of the Dynamite Bomb from Christian Herald and Signs of Our Times

In observance of International Workers’ Day (aka May Day), the Petey Greene Program invites you to explore the historical and systemic intersections of labor and incarceration, how the carceral system functions within the framework of racial capitalism, and the ways in which prison labor relates to broader labor movements. In particular, the origins of May Day and the Haymarket Affair—an 1886 national strike for 8-hour workdays that led to violent clashes, multiple deaths, and a bomb detonated in Haymarket Square, Chicago—provide a historical lens through which to study how the criminal legal system is used to quell social dissent and public protest. The following resources offer a starting point for exploring these connections more deeply.

“May Day’s History Shows Why Labor and Prison Struggles Are Intertwined” by Mansa Musa: This dialogue between Mansa Musa and Maximillian Alvarez can be watched or read. This point from Alvarez really sums it up: “I want people to understand that it’s not just that we’re saying that we need to fight the prison-industrial complex and labor exploitation at the same time; we need to understand that they’re fundamentally working in tandem, and so those fights need to necessarily be doing the same...let’s tease out how the prison-industrial complex serves a vital function for the exploitative system of capitalism.”

A Hidden Workforce: Prison Labor, Human Rights, and the Legacy of Slavery from The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program: This webinar provides an overview of the history and conditions of work for incarcerated people and a high-level overview on the topic of forced prison labor. The clips from Fred Redmond (AFL-CIO) "Why Unions Oppose Prison Labor" and Andrea Armstrong (Loyola Law) "What Makes Prison Labor Uniquely Deplorable" are particularly insightful and worth watching.

“Forced prison labor in the 'Land of the Free' Rooted in Racism and Economic Exploitation: Spotlight” by Nina Mast: This report from the Economic Policy Institute takes these conversations and foregrounds data and data analysis. Mast offers a clear summary of the connections between incarcerated labor and slavery.