On Tuesday, Red Hill Books hosts a look and a listen -- a presentation of San Francisco's labor history, rooted in the neighborhood of Bernal Heights and in the strong labor lineage of San Francisco. If you're new to the Bay Area, you may not realize what a workers' tale the streets of San Francisco harbor.

The Red Hill Books event is part of the month-long Labor Fest which launches each year on the anniversary of Bloody Thursday.

In attendance at Red Hill Books will be folklorist Archie Green, editor of the Big Red Songbook. The Songbook is a compilation of Little Red Songbooks -- the musical legacy of the International Workers of the World (IWW) or Wobblies, of which Mother Jones was a founder.

Bernal Heights Preservation members Molly Martin and Terry Milne will also show historical pictures looking at the long tradition of labor activism in Bernal, starting from the 1907 Carmen's Strike, or streetcar strike (Carmen referring to the union of streetcar workers).

It's too rich and complex for a simple blog, but if you're interested in this cultural pedigree of San Francisco, attend the Red Hill presentation or any of the events happening throughout July in the context of LaborFest.

• Red Hill Books Event:
  Tuesday, July 15 at 6:30p
  401 Cortland Avenue (at Bennington)
  Bernal Heights - San Francisco
  Tel: (415) 648-5331

Check out additional LaborFest films, readings and happenings at the official LaborFest 2008 website.

Archival Footage from San Francisco General Strike

^{Video Courtesy of Prelinger Archives -Creative Commons/Public Domain}

Related Resources:

• A Brief Look at Bloody Thursday
• 10 Best Labor Songs (About.com: Folk Music) *
• All About the IWW (IWW Website)

^{* Some labor songs were not expressly endorsed by early IWW members, due to philosophical differences between IWW and other groups}