Thursday, July 26th, 2012

THE HISTORY OF July 26th, I'm ___________________ .

And I’m___________________ . Today in 1934: seven African Americans and eleven whites form the first local of the “Southern Tenant Farmers Union” at Tyronza, Arkansas. Within a year the union will have more than ten thousand members and, in September 1935, will lead a strike in Arkansas for increased pay for picking cotton.

After the strike, the union will spread across the South, eventually covering thirty thousand members. But the union’s survival will always be tenuous. Many members will be too poor to pay the dues of ten cents a month. Also, they will face constant harassment from landlords and police. Organizers will not venture out without bodyguards.

In January 1935, sheriffs deputies at “Marked Tree”, Arkansas, will break up a union meeting. They will arrest the organizer, Ward Rogers, a graduate of “Vanderbilt Theological Seminary”. A court will convict Rogers of “criminal anarchy” and sentence him to six months in jail.

Thursday, July 26th, 2012

It's today’s Action Calendar!

Tonight through Sunday, Madison Shakespeare Company presents Julius Caesar, outdoors at Breese Stevens Field, 900 East Washington. Performances start at 6:30 p.m. and conclude at 8:45.  Bring your own chair! Food and drinks are welcome but alcohol and glass containers are prohibited. Tickets may be purchased online at madisonshakespeare.org or at the ticket window. 

The Respite Center is a safe place for kids, ages birth to fourteen, whose families are under stress or in crisis. They are looking for volunteers to play with kids four hours a week. Training is required. Call 244-5730 for details.

The Alliance for Animals has volunteer opportunities to help animals. These might include tabling at the Farmer’s Market, distributing pro-animal literature or joining the antivivisection Committee. For details visit allanimals.org or call 257-6333.

Dane County Friends of Ferals volunteers are dedicated to bettering the future of feral cats. Their mission is to establish a no-kill standard and promote the value and well-being of Dane County area feral cats. Call 467-4067 for details.