Photography Projects
Struggle for Justice: The Migrant Farm Worker Labor Movement
in Wisconsin is a photo-journalistic account of dramatic
grass roots efforts among farm workers to organize an independent labor
union, Obreros Unidos (United Workers), in Central Wisconsin
during the 1960s. Using historic photographs and text written by participants
in the movement, Lucha por la Justicia (Struggle for Justice)
describes in detail the first sustained attempt to form a migrant farm-worker
union in the Great Lakes Region. Co-authored by Obreros Unidos
founder Jesus Salas and union photographer/journalist David Giffey, the
Struggle for Justice exhibit includes 110 black-and-white photographs,
Spanish and English text blocks, and supplementary information such as
maps and news stories. A copy of the
Struggle for Justice booklet may be downloaded here in PDF format.
The booklet contains an abbreviated bi-lingual text and 20 photos from
the exhibit.
The Struggle for Justice project was sponsored in 1998 by Wisconsin
Labor History Society and funded in part by the Wisconsin Humanities Council
with support from the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission. Co-sponsors
providing exhibition sites included: American Federation of Teachers,
Local 212, Milwaukee Area Technical College; Bayland; Brown County Library;
Fiesta Mexicana, Milwaukee; Latino Arts, Inc.; La Crosse County Historical
Society; Madison Area Technical College Student Life Office and Minority
Student Affairs; Madison Urban Ministry; MEChA, Movimiento Estudiantil
Chicano de Aztlan, UW-Madison; Milwaukee Public Library; South Central
Federation of Labor; State Historical Society of Wisconsin; Superior Public
Library; United Community Center, Milwaukee; UW-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library;
United Migrant Opportunities Services, Inc.; UW-Green Bay Center for History
and Social Change; UW-Stevens Point History Department; Wisconsin Conference
of Churches Migrant Ministry Ecumenical Partnership; and Wisconsin State
AFL-CIO.
The Struggle for Justice exhibit has been displayed at dozens
of locations in Wisconsin, including community centers, campuses, churches,
museums, and galleries. It continues to be available for exhibitions of
one month or less for a $250 installation/rental fee, plus travel expenses
(depending on location). For information about the availability of the
exhibit contact: David Giffey by telephone at 608/753-2199, or by e-mail
at barnowl@mhtc.net.
