Interview With Ruth Sergel
Why did you get interested in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire?
As a born + bred New Yorker, I grew up with this story! I first read about the fire in Leon Stein's book "The Triangle Fire". I was a young Jewish girl living in the same neighborhood where many of the Triangle workers had lived. Apparently it had a huge impact!
How does your art commemorate the victims of the fire?
Chalk insists on active memory. Its a memorial that only exists if every year people are willing to take a public action on what they feel + believe in their hearts.
How has your coalition helped advance the issue of workers' rights? What are some things the coalition does?
The Remember the Triangle Coalition is about honoring the Triangle workers not simply in a historic sense but by doing our best to ensure that the conditions that led to the tragedy are not repeated. EVERYONE should be able to work in safe + decent working conditions. We work with organizations like the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity + the International Labor Rights Forum to do our part.
Please describe the Chalk project.
I started Chalk in 2004. Each year on the anniversary of the fire volunteers fan out across the city to inscribe the names and ages of the Triangle workers in front of their former homes. Participants include Triangle family members, people who live in the buildings now, school classes, and many from the communities directly impacted by the fire including the Jewish, Italian-American and Fire + Safety workers
How do you think the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire has affected us today?
I think we can look with great respect at the constructive good that came out of the Triangle Fire - Frances Perkins claimed that the New Deal was born of the fire. Today, when so many people are financially struggling, the lessons of the fire remind us of the need for an organized work force that can insist on safe working conditions.
Is there anything else that needs to be done?
Yes! We need to work together across our differences, across national borders to build a world where everyone can work and live in decent conditions. Doesn't matter if it is here on in Bangladesh or Cambodia - everyone deserves bread + roses.
As a born + bred New Yorker, I grew up with this story! I first read about the fire in Leon Stein's book "The Triangle Fire". I was a young Jewish girl living in the same neighborhood where many of the Triangle workers had lived. Apparently it had a huge impact!
How does your art commemorate the victims of the fire?
Chalk insists on active memory. Its a memorial that only exists if every year people are willing to take a public action on what they feel + believe in their hearts.
How has your coalition helped advance the issue of workers' rights? What are some things the coalition does?
The Remember the Triangle Coalition is about honoring the Triangle workers not simply in a historic sense but by doing our best to ensure that the conditions that led to the tragedy are not repeated. EVERYONE should be able to work in safe + decent working conditions. We work with organizations like the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity + the International Labor Rights Forum to do our part.
Please describe the Chalk project.
I started Chalk in 2004. Each year on the anniversary of the fire volunteers fan out across the city to inscribe the names and ages of the Triangle workers in front of their former homes. Participants include Triangle family members, people who live in the buildings now, school classes, and many from the communities directly impacted by the fire including the Jewish, Italian-American and Fire + Safety workers
How do you think the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire has affected us today?
I think we can look with great respect at the constructive good that came out of the Triangle Fire - Frances Perkins claimed that the New Deal was born of the fire. Today, when so many people are financially struggling, the lessons of the fire remind us of the need for an organized work force that can insist on safe working conditions.
Is there anything else that needs to be done?
Yes! We need to work together across our differences, across national borders to build a world where everyone can work and live in decent conditions. Doesn't matter if it is here on in Bangladesh or Cambodia - everyone deserves bread + roses.