E73: Ben Fletcher, part 1
Working Class History
Working Class History
5.0 • 813 Ratings
🗓️ 5 June 2023
⏱️ 40 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In these episodes, we speak with historian Peter Cole, author and editor of Ben Fletcher: The Life And Times Of A Black Wobbly. We also hear words written by Fletcher, voiced by fellow Wobbly, Alki.
In part 1 we learn about his early life, as well as his union branch, Local 8, which in the early 20th-century organised thousands of workers on the Philadelphia docks and was the most powerful multiracial union in the country at the time.
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Full information, acknowledgements, sources and a transcript are on the webpage for this episode: https://workingclasshistory.com/podcast/e73-ben-fletcher/
Acknowledgements
- Thanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands and Jamison D. Saltsman.
- Words of Ben Fletcher voiced by Alki. Check out his YouTube channel here, or follow him on Twitter here.
- Episode graphic: Ben Fletcher in 1918, enhanced by WCH. Courtesy US National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons.
- Theme music: “Solidarity (Forever)”, written by Ralph Chaplin, performed by The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello. Buy or stream it here.
- Edited by Louise Barry
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In early 20th century Philadelphia, black and white dock workers defied segregation and racism, |
| 0:06.0 | organized themselves and took action to win better pay and conditions. |
| 0:10.0 | One of them, Ben Fletcher, became one of the most important labor activists in the United States, |
| 0:15.0 | feared by employers, surveilled by the FBI, thrown in jail, and then largely forgotten until recently. |
| 0:22.0 | This is working class history. Solidarity forever! Solidarity forever! |
| 0:39.3 | Solidarity forever! |
| 0:42.3 | For the Union makes us strong! |
| 0:46.3 | When the Union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run, |
| 0:51.3 | there can be no greater power anywhere beneath the sun. |
| 0:55.3 | Yet what force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one, but the union makes |
| 1:01.0 | us strong. |
| 1:04.4 | Solidarity forever. |
| 1:08.5 | Before we get started, just a quick reminder that our podcast is brought to you by our Patreon supporters. |
| 1:14.6 | Our supporters fund our work and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, |
| 1:19.6 | add free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. |
| 1:24.5 | For example, our Patreon supporters can listen to both parts of this double episode |
| 1:28.0 | now, as well as an exclusive bonus episode. Join us or find out more at patreon.com slash working |
| 1:35.3 | class history. Link in the show notes. This is the first part of a double episode about the most |
| 1:40.8 | important US labour organiser that you've probably never heard of, Ben Fletcher, |
| 1:44.9 | who was a member and activist in the Industrial Works of the World Union, known as the Wobblies. |
| 1:50.6 | I am from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the city of brotherly love. While that might sound facetious, |
| 1:57.0 | it is a fact, nevertheless, that a little more unity has prevailed there during the present |
... |
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