Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives

"Our Daily Work / Our Daily Lives" is a joint project that focuses on the artistic traditions of workers and on workplaces as contexts for the expression of workers culture. The richness and diversity of workers' experiences and workers culture is explored and presented through an ongoing series of exhibits, lectures, and presentations; writing and research projects; reunions; and demonstrations and discussions.

The program was established in 1992 and is coordinated by the Michigan Traditional Arts Program at the MSU Museum and the Labor Education Program in the College of Social Science's School of Human Resources and Labor Relations.

 

2023-24 Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives Brown Bag Series

Race and Disaster in the American Auto Industry: The Explosion at Briggs Manufacturing in Detroit (April 23, 1927)

Speaker:
Tom Klug, Labor and Urban Historian

Date/Time:
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
12:15pm - 1:30pm ET

Location: Green Room, MSU Library

(co-sponsored by the Capital Area Stewardship Community / Motorcities National Heritage Area)

And available as an online webinar at https://msu.zoom.us/j/97496813137 the password is odwodl.


Serving It Up in the Capital City: Restaurants, Labor and Restaurant Labor in Lansing, Michigan, 1963 - 2008

Speaker:
Dani Willcutt, MSU Department of History

Date/Time:
Thursday, February 15, 2024
12:15pm - 1:30pm ET

Location: Green Room, MSU Library

This is taken from Dani's larger project, "Serving It Up in the Capital City: Restaurants, Labor and Restaurant Labor in Lansing, Michigan, 1963 - 2008"

(co-sponsored by the Capital Area Stewardship Community / Motorcities National Heritage Area)

And available as an online webinar at https://msu.zoom.us/j/97496813137 the password is odwodl.


'We are going to save McLouth once again---only this time for ourselves,":  Economic nationalism, Environmental blackmail, and workers' ownership at McLouth Steel during the Downriver Disaster of the late 20th Century

Speaker:
Lisa Fine, MSU Department of History

Date/Time:
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
12:15pm - 1:30pm ET

Location: Green Room, MSU Library


Inside Out: Investigating Violence and Addiction in Labor History

Speaker:
Jeremy Milloy, Department of History, Wayne State University

Date/Time:
Thursday, April 4, 2024
12:15pm - 1:30pm ET

Location: Green Room, MSU Library


Joe Hill: Alive as You or Me

Performer:
Tom Kastle, Performer and Activist

Date/Time:
Tuesday, April 9, 2024
12:15pm - 1:30pm ET

Location: Green Room, MSU Library


Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives Audio Archive

Thanks to all of the folks at the MSU Vincent Voice Library who have worked with us to create this archived set of recordings for Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives.

Follow these steps to access all of the recordings we have cataloged thus far:

  1. Start at the MSU Library Homepage: https://lib.msu.edu
  2. Type in search box "Our daily work, our daily lives brown bag series"
  3. Click on "See More »" in the Books & Media box
  4. As of 4/4/23, there are 136 results for the series!