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.
Our Daily Work, Our Daily Lives Brown Bag Series - Spring 2025
All presentations take place in the Green Room, 4th floor, MSU Library from 12:00pm - 1:15pm ET, and are available as an online webinar at https://msu.zoom.us/j/97496813137. The password is odwodl.
Working the Ranch and Range: The Music of the Black Cowboy
Performer: Dom Flemons, Folk Performer
Date/Time:
Friday, January 24, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
In conjunction with the Ten Pound Fiddle / Co-sponsored by African American and African Studies
The Limits of Prosperity: Women's Work and Class in the Department Store
Performer: Marissa Knaak, MSU Department of History
Date/Time:
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
Co-sponsored by the MSU Center for Gender in Global Context
Managerialism, Codetermination, and Democracy: Intellectuals and Workers Confront 1950s West Germany
Speaker: Sean Forner, MSU Department of History
Date/Time:
Wednesday, February 26, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
The Road to Rights: Domestic Workers and the New Labor Activism Since 1960
Speaker: Mia Michael, Department of History, Wayne State University
Tentative Date/Time:
Friday, March 14, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
Co-sponsored by the MSU Center for Gender in Global Context
Laboring to Build a Nation: Working People's Music across America
Performers: Sparky and Rhonda Rucker, Folk Performers
Date/Time:
Friday, March 28, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
In conjunction with the Ten Pound Fiddle
'We are already organized': The Dunes Hotel, the Showgirls of "Casino de Paris" and the Struggle for Unionization in Las Vegas, 1970-1980
Speaker: Samantha Smith, MSU Department of History
Date/Time:
Monday, April 21, 2025
12:00pm - 1:15pm ET
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:
- Start at the MSU Library Homepage: https://lib.msu.edu
- Type in search box "Our daily work, our daily lives brown bag series"
- Click on "See More »" in the Books & Media box
- As of 4/4/23, there are 136 results for the series!