Untold Stories, the award-winning labor history series sponsored by The Friends of the Saint Paul Library has begun its eighth year with a program of lectures, tours, community discussions, and performances.
Biju Matthew presents his book, Taxi!: Cabs and Capitalism in New York City (New Press) on Thursday, May 4, 7:00PM, at the Merriam Park Branch Library, 1831 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul. Taxi! is a survey of New York City’s taxi business from a unique perspective. Matthew, you see, is a professor of business at Rider University, a member of the Organizing Committee of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, and co-founder of the Forum of Indian Leftists. In 1998, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance organized a strike of more than 10,000 drivers, speaking at least 80 different languages, to protest new rules Mayor Rudy Giuliani tried to impose.
Four days later the conversation about labor and immigration continues on Monday, May 8, 7:00PM, at the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building, 179 East Robie Street, Saint Paul. Thomas O’Connell, political science professor at Metropolitan State University, moderates the panel which includes Pakou Hang, a Hmong political activist; Teresa Ortiz, of the Resource Center of the Americas; Barbara Ronningen, State Demographer; and Joel Wurl, Associate Director of the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota.
Untold Stories events are free and open to the public. More information and a calendar of events is available on The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Libary website or by calling (651) 222-3242.
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