Reflections on Labor Day!
The unofficial end to summer is our celebration of Labor Day! With origins in the late 19th century, the celebration of Labor Day arose from the Pullman Strike in Chicago which sparked a national railroad workers' stoppage. For the first time in US history, the federal government intervened in a labor dispute and the strike was ended. Thus the holiday was created and made distinct from the more leftist origins of May Day (International Workers Day).
While Labor Day might have been established to appease workers, we nevertheless recognize that Black organizers have always been at the forefront of the Labor Movement – whether that be through resisting and rebelling enslavement, the Black women who organized for better working conditions during the Reconstruction Era, the Black queer activists who built coalitions between movements in the 1970s and beyond. The worker power fight of today is marked by extreme wealth gaps under an ever-increasing cost of living. And we know those most impacted are Black, PoC, LGBTQIA, women, GNC, disabled, immigrants, and working class communities.
Currently under American facism we continue to navigate legal enslavement through mass incarceration, relaxed child labor laws, repression of student movements and free speech, exorbitant wage theft amidst increasingly dangerous working conditions, and the murder of truth tellers. As September 15 is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month, we also acknowledge that Latinx, Indigenous, and undocumented communities are particularly vulnerable to oppressive labor practices. The Reproductive Justice and Labor Movements are interconnected through the fight for bodily autonomy and self-determination.
Reproductive rights are workers rights, and the struggle for reproductive liberation is one of collective liberation!
Much love,
The Apiary Team
What’s Happening at Apiary 🐝
❤️🔥 Our very own Ayé has been appointed to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAF) Board of Directors <333
🐝 Is your group or collective interested in joining Apiary’s Hivemind, our unique community space for practical support organizations and the people who work and volunteer for them? If so, fill out this form and we’ll start the conversation!
✨ Want to become a practical support volunteer? Our Pollination Station vets and trains new volunteers and places them with local organizations. Participants attend three training sessions that explore trauma-informed response, the fundamentals of reproductive justice, and the history and practicality of practical support.
🎃 As the weather begins to shift, consider snagging some cozy Apiary merch for the cooler temperatures! Visit the Apiary Shop for our one-of-a-kind long sleeve tee’s and plush hoodies, as well as mugs for hot bevvies (can you smell the pumpkin spice already?)
What’s Happening in the Community 🍯
💔 New River Abortion Fund’s Board has made the difficult decision to dissolve the fund by June 2026.
🍂 Chicago Abortion Fund’s fall series, A Home Here: Post Abortion Community Circles, for people who've had an abortion starts today - register here!
💻 Repro TLC is hosting a free, virtual, & accessible Abortion Doula Training - complete their interest form here.
🐇 Euki just dropped some new merch, including some pouches to store menstrual products.