eclemens's blog

The Reuther Library mourns the passing of our friend, the incomparable Grace Lee Boggs.

Boggs was a writer, philosopher, mentor, and an outspoken activist for many causes, including civil rights, workers’ rights, Black Power, environmental justice, feminism, and community empowerment. To many, she seemed a force of nature – always working, organizing, teaching, and inspiring others to think critically and improve the world around them. Her philosophies evolved constantly throughout her life, but one thing held true from the beginning to the end: her faith that positive social change was possible if people were willing to work together.  read more »

The Industrial Workers of the World (I.W.W.) was one of the first industrial unions to adopt the concept of gender equality and extend its membership to women. From its very inception, as organizers, agitators, advocates, and active members, women played an important part in the union’s development.  read more »

In honor of this weekend's annual Flower Day, we invite you to visit our tour on HistoryPin: “Detroit’s Eastern Market”

Since 1891, Detroit’s historic Eastern Market has been the go-to destination for fresh produce, meats, and supplies of local businesses and residents. The market spans 43 acres of land on Detroit’s east side and is presently the largest public market district in the United States. It is home to over 150 specialty businesses, a thriving wholesale food industry and is a hub in the local artisan community. An average of 30,000-40,000 visitors attends the Saturday market during the high months.  read more »

The Reuther Library is pleased to announce its partnership with HistoryPin. For the uninitiated, HistoryPin is a popular, interactive social media platform that uses geotagging to link historical photographs to modern mapping systems. Partnering institutions and individuals--currently thousands across the globe-- “pin” still images, audio resources, or moving images to their subject’s original location. These pins can be grouped together in a tour or collection, each allowing for the individual user to explore historical topics or locations. The platform is widely available through a website or via mobile device applications.  read more »