High School Labor History Tour of DC

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High school students studying U.S. history at the E.L. Haynes Public Charter School learned about labor history during a January 29, 2013 Labor Walk led by Metro Council Union Cities Coordinator Chris Garlock.

“It was easy to see the now and then relationships for labor movements and other issues,” wrote one student.

The students saw the AFL-CIO lobby mosaics, the old CIO headquarters, and Bonus Army and Occupy DC sites. They also heard Garlock, along with Metro Council Political/Legislative Assistant Alya Solomon and Labor Heritage Foundation Executive Director Darryl Moch, outline how unions have contributed to Washington and how they continue to impact worker’s lives.

The Labor Walk helped the students “apply their new understandings in a way that was engaging and helped them connect more deeply with their city and its history,” said teacher Barrie Moorman, “something that students often miss if they are only learning from a textbook.”

The school connected with the Metro Council through Teaching for Change. The Labor Walks are based on the DC Labor Map and are offered throughout the year or by request: streetheat@dclabor.org.