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Many of the city's active unionists, archivists, historians and
others knew Debra E. Bernhardt, a life long activist, head of the
Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives and Tamiment Library for nearly
20 years. Debra was a leader in preserving and disseminating the
history of working people, co-author of Ordinary People, Extraordinary
Lives, A Pictorial History of Working People in New York, and the
moving force behind the successful campaign to have Union Square
designated a national historic landmark. Hundreds of union members
and friends contributed $5 each toward naming a bench in the square
in her honor.
Debra wrote about the historic highs and lows of what she called
a "culture of solidarity" among New York City working
people, so it is fitting that the day of the celebration/dedication
of her bench is going to be combined with a dedication of a new
postage stamp honoring Cesar Chavez, founder and leader of the first
successful union of farm workers in the country.
The celebration will include the "second unveiling" of
the new Cesar Chavez stamp. (The first unveiling was held in Los
Angeles on April 23, where the current president of the Farm Workers
was joined by the Postmaster General, the governor of California,
the mayor of Los Angeles and others. ) The postal service will offer
the stamp for sale, and also will design a special cancellation
just for this day, honoring Debra (on what would have been her 50th
birthday) and the history of labor in Union Square.
Debra's husband Jon Bloom, Brian McLaughlin, president of the CLC,
Susan Cowell from UNITE, Postmaster of the Bronx Tony Rosario, Irv
Hershenbaum from the United Farm Workers, and others will speak,
and music will be provided by the New York City Labor Chorus, which
Debra sang with for many years, labor's troubadour Joe Glazer, international
soprano Frances Ginsberg and others.
Six plaques commemorating important events in the history of labor
in the square have recently been installed in the pavement in the
south west corner of the square, and it here that the bench will
be dedicated. Debra collaborated with UNITE and the Parks Department
and many others to make these plaques possible, as she collaborated
with so many people on a myriad of public history projects that
honor the history of workers in New York.
A web exhibit about the plaques and the square will be posted on
May 9 and remain available indefinitely, on the Labor Arts website
laborarts.org. People are also invited to visit the Robert F. Wagner
Labor Archives during May and June to view an exhibit about Debra's
work preserving the history of labor in New York. The Archives is
located at 70 Washington Square South, 10th Floor Bobst Library,
NY, NY 10012. (212) 998-2630
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