The voice of Saint Paul's working families since 1897
“Freedom Writers,” a feature-length dramatic film based on the real-life story of Los Angeles students labeled “low achievers” during the mid-1990s, is next up in the East Side Freedom Library’s film and discussion series. Inspired by a creative teacher, the students learned to support each other as a community and commit themselves to changing both […]
A series of community conversations about the City of St. Paul’s new Responsible Banking Ordinance will convene Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the East Side Freedom Library. The new ordinance requires the City of St. Paul to look at how well financial institutions are serving the community before deciding which banks benefit from the city’s business. […]
Saint Paul’s East Side Freedom Library has received a $25,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to support a founding, large-scale arts project in the Phalen neighborhood’s Beaux Arts Carnegie Library. The grant, library co-directors Peter Rachleff and Beth Cleary said, will contribute to the re-purposing of the library building as […]
The history of St. Paul, its neighborhoods and its workers are intertwined. The struggles waged by organized labor helped knit a strong social fabric and vibrant local economy. Local historians next month will host “Making St. Paul Work for Working People,” a discussion of four exemplary St. Paul labor leaders, the movements they helped build […]
The East Side Freedom Library will host “The History of Labor Day,” a free, public event to explore how Labor Day became a holiday, from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 28. The event will feature readings from historic labor speeches, music and solidarity. The East Side Freedom Library is a new, independent library focused on […]
Monday, Sept. 1, will mark the 120th celebration of Labor Day as a legal, national holiday. The holiday had a turbulent, complicated beginning. Understanding more about this can help us rethink the significance of this holiday today. American labor in 1894 was a volatile force. The industrial revolution had radically transformed work, replacing skilled labor […]
A new, independent library is seeking to celebrate and preserve the heritage of St. Paul’s East Side – its working-class roots, its rich diversity and its fighting spirit. But first, organizers must preserve and restore a 98-year-old architectural landmark, from the roof to the ground floor. The East Side Freedom Library is the new name […]
Union Advocate 