April 26 - May 3

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Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!

SportsWise

Which playoffs do you prefer: the NHL's (National Hockey League's) or the (NBA's) National Basketball Association?

Cover Story: rummage sales

Church-run rummage sales started locally more than a century ago, to bring very low-cost items to people who could not otherwise afford them. But since the sales have resumed after the pandemic, their business model has changed, raising concerns about reaching homeless and very low income people.

Clothes-shopping at rummage sales can make the world a better place, because of reusing items made by people who were fairly paid, writes Margaret Wilds, president of the Vintage Fashion Guide, in her book, "Wear Vintage Now." Wilds gives guidelines for vintage clothes shopping, whether at rummage sales or stores.

Furniture trends are also discussed, by experts in rummage, home furnishings and TV staging.

14

Voice of the Streets – Op-ed

May 1 is International Workers Day and labor history expert Dr. Victor Devinatz discusses how the holiday is commemorated around the globe because of events that happened in Chicago more than a century ago.

The Playground

THIS

DISCLAIMER:

60616

PAGE: Vintage looks in a cool green color palette (collage by Margaret Wilds).

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Coming Into His Own!

‘Antonio’s Song / I was Dreaming of a Son’ Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s production of “Antonio’s Song/I was Dreaming of a Son” is a poetic journey of an artist/dancer/father questioning the balance of his passions: art, culture, and family. From Brooklyn to Massachusetts to Russia, Antonio struggles to reconcile multiple ethnic identities. He wrestles with the legacy of the various stereotypes of masculinity, while recognizing the beauty in manhood and becoming a father. Powerful poetry is intermixed with original movement, music, and projected imagery. Performances will be in the Goodman's Owen Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., from April 28 - May 28. Tickets are $15+ at www.goodmantheatre.org/show/antonios-song

Row Away!

2023 Dragon Boat Race for Literacy

Chinese dragon boat races date back over 2,000 years and the sport is still popular among Chinese communities all over the world. The Chinatown Chamber of Commerce has hosted the “Dragon Boat Race for Literacy” for over 20 years, to promote its culture and to help neighborhood literacy programs. The June 24 event is 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., and begins with dance and music performances. Admission is free. May 5 is the application deadline to participate. Register at www.chicagochinatown.org/dragonboat2023

Jamboree of Discovery!

‘The Porch on Windy Hill’

W hen a young classical violinist and her folk song collector-boyfriend need an escape from quarantine, their search leads the biracial Mira back to her old family home, where she reconnects with an estranged grandfather. An unexpected combination of joy, discovery, past pain, and prejudice comes to light in this story of an Appalachian family's varied roots, and the music that binds them together. Performances are Wednesdays at 1 and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. April 13 - May 14 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets are $35+ at northlight.org/ events/the-porch-on-windy-hill-a-new-play-with-old-music

All About That Bass!

Third Coast Percussion presents ‘Metamorphosis’

Third Coast Percussion joins forces with Los Angeles-based group, Movement Art Is, for a performance about the transformation that are possible when two worlds collide and people become able to learn from one another. The Chicago premiere, a one night-only event, includes a vast range of music styles from classical minimalism to EDM, with the concert weaving four works by three composers into one dynamic piece. The concert will feature live street dance at the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, 205 E. Randolph St., Tuesday, at 7:30 p.m. May 2. Tickets are $18+ at www.harristheaterchicago.org/performance/metamorphosis

Compiled by Emma Murphy

Proper Job, Right Work!

‘IN THE BACK / ON THE FLOOR’

The world premiere of “IN THE BACK/ON THE FLOOR” examines the issues that minimum wage workers face through the lives of several employees at a big-box retail store. Though paid the least, these workers are asked to bear the heaviest burden for the good of profit. W hen one worker with ambition sees his dreams of advancement within the organization stunted, the forbidden word "union" is raised. Performances are 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, April 28 - May 28 at the Chicago Dramatists, 1105 W. Chicago Ave. Tickets are $25+ at www.stagelefttheatre.com/intheback-onthefloor

Take A Look, Read A Book!

Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl

The annual Indie Bookstore Crawl will be on Independent Bookstore Day (IBD), Saturday, April 29. Participants pick up their #ChiLoveBooks passport from the participating store of their choice. A small initial purchase is required to get the passport and the first stamp, then participants will get a stamp at each additional participating store they visit that day. If bookstore crawlers visit 10 to 15 of the 40 stores, they will receive 10 to 15% off purchases there for a year, plus a limited edition pin. More information is at www.chilovebooks.com

B-I-N-G-O!!

‘Bible Bingo’

Now in its 13th year, “Bible Bingo” is a long-running comedy about the Catholic culture of fundraising and bingo, featuring the character Mrs. Mary Margaret O'Brien, a former nun who now heads a fictitious archdiocese fundraising department. The interactive show gets the audience talking about everything from Adam & Eve to modern sins with Bible trivia, improvised moments, and the funniest quiz about the Holy Family you’ve ever seen. The show runs at 8 p.m. April 28 and 29 at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Tickets are $35+ at www.greenhousetheater.org/tickets-showings

Multimedia Performance!

‘[siccer]’

Will Rawls presents a new interdisciplinary work, “[siccer],” that addresses the relationship between Blackness and image-making through a live performance accompanied by a video installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA), 220 E. Chicago Ave. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. April 27 - 29 and 2 p.m. April 30. The video installation is available until June 18. An artist talk with Rawls and the current curator of the California African American Museum, Taylor Renee Aldridge, will be at 2 p.m. April 29. Tickets are $10+ at visit.mcachicago.org/events/will-rawls-siccer

Art for All!

‘The Other Art Fair Chicago’ Art should never be elite. Art isn’t confined to convention or rule, and how you enjoy it shouldn’t be, either. The Other Art Fair combines affordable and original artworks and 140 independent artists with immersive installations, performances, DJs, and a fully stocked bar. The event is 6 - 10 p.m. April 27, 4 - 10 p.m. April 28, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. April 29, and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. April 30 at Artifact Events, 4325 N. Ravenswood Ave. Tickets are $15+ at www.theotherartfair.com/chicago/tickets

Food Fundraiser!

Mother’s Day Lox Box

The Glenwood Sunday Market is raising funds to make sustainable, regionally produced foods available to all community members. Each Lox Box is $45 and includes 4 bagels, 1 lb. total cream cheese (1/2 plain, 1/2 artisanal), 1/2 lb. hand-cured and hand-cut lox, and garnish. Orders can be placed at www.urbantableschicago.com by April 28 for pickup or delivery on May 13 from noon – 4 p.m. and May 14 from 8 a.m. – noon. Pickup is available at Urban Tables, 6958 N. Clark St. More information at www.glenwoodsundaymarket.org

NHL or NBA Playoffs: Which is more fantastic?

Patrick : John, good topic suggestion. With that, you done earned the right to kick us off. What d’you got?

John: Overall, the NHL Playoffs are better than the NBA Playoffs because a large number of the NHL Playoffs are won by one goal; plus, many go into overtime. I also think it’s more difficult to point out which NHL games should be deemed instant classics, because there’re so many great games. Whereas, with the NBA Playoffs, it’s tougher, what with all the blowouts—games that are decided very quickly, and by a ton of points.

Russ: I don’t know, John. I believe the NBA wins handsdown, versus the NHL. From what I can tell, the NBA has many more fans than the NHL does. And, of course, if we’re talking this year only, then it’s an easy choice, considering the Bulls are in the play-in tournament, and thus have a shot at making the “real” playoffs in one of the final two spots.

Patrick : On a quick slidein, fellas, I, personally, enjoy the NBA and its playoffs season more than the NHL, but that’s because I’m more a basketball fan than I am a hockey fan. I mean, when the Hawks were in it, man, I found myself watching everywhere I could. Of course, I was watching only the Blackhawks, but I did watch.

Donald: Look, I don’t know much about hockey in relation to my embrace of the NBA and its playoffs, so, with that, I’m less willing to choose NHL over NBA. However, if keeping it bigger than just my love of the NBA game, then I can’t give an edge to either. Are we just figuring who’s the biggest in popularity?

Patrick : Actually, when it was suggested as a topic, I believe we were going with a general “Which is better?” With that, it’s whatever each of us thought when we heard

“better.” But, Don, you make a good point. Plus, I think the fellas somewhat squoze the theme out of this: That the fanbase is a big factor.

Donald: All right, so, both of them—the NHL and the NBA have huge fanbases. I’d almost guess it’s fairly close—at least in the States. Now, because I believe the NBA is so popular all across the world—more than I would think about the NHL—I could give the nod in that sense.

John: True. And talking about the current year again, the Bulls making the playoffs this season’ll generate extra buzz and, seemingly, give the NBA the nod over the NHL. However, that’s not enough for me to give over my “vote.”

Russ: I can dig that, John. Let me add, too, that another reason I have to give my love to the NBA is the household names. All over the world, fans of all ages can name

NBA stars; for example, LeBron, Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, KD, etc. Now, ask anyone to name just two popular hockey stars, and it may not get done. Perhaps that person’ll name a star from their home team, but that’s it. Another thing: I’ve no idea who won the Stanley Cup last year. I know it wasn’t the Blackhawks!

John: Good point. It’s tougher, though, for hockey, in my opinion, based on how often victory’s not decided by the higher seed; in the NBA, the highest seeds almost always seem to handle business.

Donald: Tough topic, fellas. I know that, this year, I’m gonna watch ‘em both—well, a lil’bit of hockey—and I’m gonna appreciate both.

Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org

Rashanah Baldwin

Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

A Diamond in the RUMMAGE

by Suzanne Hanney

North Shore church rummage sales are more than just figurines and gently worn clothes. They are a reflection of changing times, post-pandemic.

Since 1902, except for two world wars and two years of social distancing during COVID-19, Winnetka Congregational Church (WCC) has raised millions of dollars for local charities. Similarly, Christ Church in Winnetka gives away the $300,000 it nets annually in small benevolence grants to nonprofits.

Furniture to fur coats, hardware to holiday goods, computers to cookware, these charity sales have more than 20 different departments, from new or gently-used kids,’ teens’ and adult clothing to designer wear, shoes, fashion accessories, housewares, furniture, rugs, lamps, sporting goods, toys, books, pictures, linens, jewelry and more. WCC has its big sale in the spring and a smaller one in the fall (see listing page 13). Christ Church is the reverse: a big sale in the fall and a smaller spring event.

The motto, according to the WCC website, is “giving what we have, to do what we can, for people who need it most.”

The church community benefits, too. Christ Church says on its website. “Serving together to offer quality merchandise to

those in need at affordable prices – and then to give all the proceeds away – deeply connects us in faith, service, fellowship and community. Lifelong relationships are made while volunteering for Rummage.”

But the model may be changing, says Susan O’Connor, the director of North Shore Chicago Rummage, who coordinates with suburban churches to find out if they are having sales and then does the social media posts and the website that lists them.

“2019 was only four years ago. We had 24 sales. There was an order to it,” O’Connor said in a telephone interview. “The pandemic just blew it all up. This year, there are eight sales on our calendar. We’ve dropped by two-thirds. The two-year hiatus totally derailed Rummage as it used to operate.”

She cites various reasons: an aging pool of volunteers, the Highland Park Independence Day parade where a sniper killed seven people and injured 48, church consolidation, social media, the monetization of everything.

“The rummage world is reflecting what’s happening in our country and in our community in general,” she said. The decreased number of rummage sales across Chicago is con-

LEFT: Winnetka Congregational Church Rummage (winnetkacongregationalchurch.org). CENTER: A Christ Church Winnetka volunteer (christchurchwinnetka. org). RIGHT: One of many stops at Ravenswood Manor Garage Sale (Ravenswood Manor Improvement Association Facebook).

firmed by StreetWise research on Yelp, backed up by phone calls and emails.

Well over half of rummage sale volunteers are seniors, and some of them are in assisted living facilities. O’Connor knows of 10 people who died early in the pandemic, before there were vaccines. Many are now wary of coming back to crowded settings, where people may not have been inoculated.

Setting up for rummage sales is a disruption of church space and some clergy liked the two years of peace during the pandemic. Now, they have nixed more sales. Roman Catholic parishes in the archdiocese of Chicago are being forced to consolidate, and one new merged church discontinued rummage.

Three churches – Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Presbyterian – typically cooperated to host a weekend sale in Highland Park, but volunteers at one church had dwindled due to aging and death. And in the aftermath of the Independence Day shooting, everything in the crime zone was shut down for two months. Highland Park Presbyterian was the only church outside the crime zone, and it was needed for support meetings and mental health counseling, so that the sale was pushed farther out.

“The vibe in Highland Park is so different now,” O’Connor said. “People are paranoid about being where there are more than five people.”

There’s also a reduced supply of donated sale items, for two reasons. Several drop-off donation sites have opened that are targeted to refugees: first Afghans, then Ukrainians, and now undocumented people bused here from Texas. Changing values, in addition, means it’s no longer taboo to have a yard sale or estate sale.

“It used to be looked upon that you must be suffering financial difficulties, to be trying to raise money,” O’Connor said.

Instead, immigrants and North Shore folks alike – even occasional rummage sale volunteers – have become rummage buyers and re-sellers. The way you can tell, she said, is people who buy a size 10 for themselves, and then load up on random things for $5 or $10 a bag at the end of the day. There are also people who squirrel things away in the hope they can pick them up cheaper late in the day.

Volunteers have become hip to the trick. Sweeping through one church before slashing prices, they found items hidden under the lid of a grand piano.

“Many are coming with the principal intent to flip what they are buying.” They scan barcodes as they shop and check prices on eBay, Poshmark and thredUP. Last spring, a man walked out of one sale’s high-end clothing room, bragging that he had already posted 10 items – and sold four of them.

And a student at New Trier High School stopped by at 7 a.m. before classes, then went on Instagram and made $1,000.

Yes, social media has enabled rummage re-sellers to create new careers, but it has changed the nature of the faith-based markets from their original purpose of giving low-cost items to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them. O’Connor worries about how to reach homeless people who have been in Chicago for years, and others who may have trouble even paying their utility bills.

“I have a very conflicted feeling. I believe wholeheartedly in rummage and recycling. Yes, there are people who come and who are in need, and we make them happy. But it is tilting in the other direction. We are going to have to see how sustainable it is in the long term.”

Vintage Fashion = A New You

by Suzanne Hanney

Clothes-shopping at rummage sales can make the world a better place, says Margaret Wilds, author of “Wear Vintage Now: Choose It, Care for It, Style it Your Way” (Margaret Wilds, 2020).

“I worry about the present state of new fashion available to most of us, with much of it poorly designed, inadequately made by terribly underpaid workers, and without a sense of freshness in spirit, production or style,” Wilds writes in the book. “I worry about the use of the world’s resources as fast fashion is bought and discarded more rapidly all the time. I worry about people and how this ever-accelerating world makes them think and act.”

On the other hand, she writes, slow fashion is like slow food. It doesn’t mean being unfashionable, but it does mean choosing better and fewer fashions, taking care of them rather than throwing them away and adding to environmental waste.

Moreover, vintage clothing was made with finer fabric, better buttons and trims, by fairly paid garment workers, in the United States. Tags on 1950s fashions will proclaim the work by a member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU), which at one time was one of the largest labor unions in the U.S., and the first to have a primarily female membership.

“In comparison, Green America’s Retail Scorecard gives Walmart an F, Target a D+ for use of sweatshops and forced child labor,” she writes.

Wilds began wearing vintage in 1974 because she “had the pocket change of a teenager and the soul of someone who didn’t feel she fit in.” She started selling on eBay in 1999 and is now president of the Vintage Fashion Guild. She also provides information and sells the book and other items on her website, denisebrain.com. The name is a tribute to the late French horn virtuoso Dennis Brain (192157) because of her first career as principal horn at the Spokane Symphony and as horn instructor at Whitman College.

Vintage fashion is also more accepting of diverse body types, Wilds says. The 1920s and 1960s favored straighter, thinner shapes, but the late 40s to early 60s was the “hourglass era.” During the World War II era (1939-46), and even the 1970s, clothes took on a more natural shape, neither straight nor super-curvy. The 80s were more like the 50s. The

book has delectable color photos of fashions from the 1910s-80s, as well as period advertisements to provide context, and contemporary ensembles by other bloggers.

Burlesque diva Dita Von Teese may “time travel” to the 40s and 50s, but most women mix up eras. Wilds suggests buying brooches as a good first step, followed by handbags, scarves (think Vera designs of the 1970s – my Mom and I bought matching black-and-white ones), earrings, eyeglasses and hats. The book has a wonderful chart for determining which hat styles complement various face shapes.

Vintage sizes are not uniform, however, so one of Wild’s most helpful takeaways for shoppers at both rummage sales and vintage stores is a chart for taking your measurements. In order to shop for clothes on the fly, you will need to create your own graph from the following dimensions:

• Bust (with your bra on, at the fullest part)

• Under bust

• Shoulder width (across the back, from your armpits)

• Waist (just above your belly button)

• Hips (heels together, at the fullest part, 8 inches from your waist)

• Outer sleeve length

• Upper arm

• Neck

• Back length to waist

• Inseam (groin to hem)

• Outer leg length (waist to hem)

• Rise (from the groin to the waist, front and back)

Stretchy material will provide a little bit of “give,” but you have to be honest with yourself, or risk popping seams and destroying an outfit.

The clothes you buy may inspire adventures, like a trip to a jazz club or a cocktail party with friends. See accompanying furniture story and Mid-Century Modern barware (page 11)

“More than any time in history, style is individual,” Wilds writes. “Go ahead and be that self-assured and stylish pack of one.”

LEFT: The cover of "Wear Vintage Now: Choose It, Care for It, Style It Your Way," written and published by Margaret Wilds in 2020. ABOVE: A handy guide for body measurements to make shopping a breeze. RIGHT: Vintage items found by Wilds, including a crochet pattern purse styled to match the original photograph from the 1940s (top). All photos courtesy of Margaret Wilds at denisebrain.com

Interior Trends, Budget-Friendly Prices

by Suzanne Hanney

Whether you are very poor or just skating by, rummage sale furniture can still help you achieve the objective of keeping up with your neighbors.

But which furniture fashion meets the bill is a matter of perspective, now more than ever, say experts in rummage, home furnishings and even TV staging.

Young people don’t want “brown furniture” anymore: their mom’s Queen Anne, Victorian mahogany or painted maple, said Susan O’Connor, director of North Shore Chicago Rummage, who coordinates with churches that host annual and semi-annual sales. The trend she was seeing through last year’s sales – the first regular year since the COVID-19 pandemic – was Mid-Century Modern, white wood, or IKEA. Nor do Gen Zers (born since 1997) want Limoges china, sterling silver flatware, Meissen or Hummel figurines or annual Christmas plates.

“They don’t want to polish it or store it,” O’Connor said.

The disconnect between what 70- and 80-year-old donors have and what churches can move has hurt profits, O’Connor said. Add in costs for storage and tents for outdoor display space, and some churches are no longer offering furniture.

But the traditional Old Money look of chinoiserie and blueand-white china – Herend, Blue Willow, Royal Copenhagen, Wedgwood – still has takers among “grandmillenials.” These are people in their mid-20s to late 30s drawn to Laura Ashley prints, ruffles or embroidered linens that the mainstream deems “stuffy.”

These items don’t sell well now at North Shore sales, O’Connor said, except to buyers like Lillian Grey Vintage. Her tagline on Facebook is, “Your grandmother bought it, your mother donated it, and I bought it back.” O’Connor has watched social media and seen North Shore items heading to the South.

Christina Hilton, store manager of Warehouse 55 in Westtown, where Lillian Grey maintains a booth, said that the grandmillennial clientele in Chicago tends to be above 40. Little cloisonne jars and other chinoiserie can still sell to a designer who wants to create a shelf. So do colored plates, for a decorative wall. Mid-Century Modern barware and unpolished brass is hot.

Is the idea to literally look rich on a budget?

“Yes,” Hilton said with a laugh.

Brass and rattan – the unpainted, classic, 1940s and 50s version – as well as bamboo, is a big design trend now, said Hilton, Melissa Alderton and Kaden Maloney.

“I have rented wicker peacock chairs a lot in the past year,” said Alderton, who founded PROPabilities in 1986 and who has worked with Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D. “The trends I am seeing are those of my youth in the 60s and 70s: bright colors of orange, red, neon green and blue.”

Maloney, a 26-year-old production designer and set decorator to films, TV and commercials in Chicago, says his demographic has left Mid-Century Modern behind in favor of “exuberant colors and big, bubbly, organic shapes.” It’s a rebellion against the beige, black and grey of late.

Rummage shopping suits his demographic, because this home furnishings look calls for a bold mix of textures, unfinished blonde wood and teak, and organic pieces: clay pots at $300, he said.

“What I see with younger people is, ‘more is more.’ I follow influencers on Instagram playing with colors and textures and pops of things, organic material, although it’s kind of an oxymoron because it’s so expensive.

“This is a really rough time to be in your 20s,” Maloney added. “It’s kind of like the moment when you figure out your career and don’t have finances. It’s a huge reason why people are trying to thrift. Outside of the design, you can find better quality thrifting than you can in a store these days. It’s sort of this generation’s awareness of manufacturing products these days and the resources we have left, even more so than the design.”

Two items available at Lillian Grey (shoplilliangrey.com)

Chicago-area Rummage Sales

ST. ATHANASIUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL - EVANSTON

Sat April 29, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

2510 Ashland St. | 847.864.2650

CASH only

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - LAKE FOREST

Sat May 6 / 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

700 N. Sheridan Road (at Deerpath) 847.234.6250

CASH/Venmo/credit card

RED CARPET CORRIDOR

Sat May 6 / 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Sun May 7 / 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Old Route 66 towns in 100-mile stretch including Joliet, Elwood, Wilmington, Braidwood, Godley, Braceville, Gardner, Dwight, Odell, Pontiac, Chenoa, Lexington, Normal and Bloomington. Find flea markets, garage sales, live music, art demonstrations, food trucks, commemorative giveaways (while supplies last), car shows, craft shows and memorabilia from the era when Rt. 66 was the Mother Road to the West Coast.

www.ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com

WINNETKA

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Thu May 11 / 7 a.m. - 2 p.m.

630 Lincoln (at Pine) / 725 Pine (at Prospect) | 847.441.3401

CASH/ Venmo/checks over $25/ credit cards over $50

UNITARIAN CHURCH

- EVANSTON

Fri May 12 / 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Sat May 13/ 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

1330 Ridge Ave.

CASH/credit/cebit cards/no checks

RAVENSWOOD MANOR NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE

SALE

Sun May 21 / 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Montrose (4400N) to Lawrence (4800N); Chicago River to Sacramento (3000W)

Explore the alleys and sidewalks for 1000s of bargains from dozens of households. Info and seller signups (deadline May 7) at ravenswoodmanor. com/manorgaragesale

CHRIST CHURCH

- WINNETKA

Sat June 3 / 8 a.m. - noon

470 Maple (at Oak)

847.446.2850 (ext. 124) rummage@christchurchwinnetka.org

CASH/check with proper ID/ Venmo

EDGEWATER YARD & SIDEWALK SALE

Sat June 3 / 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Foster (5200N) to Devon (6400N)/ Sheridan (1158 W) to Clark (1618W) Shop yard and sidewalk sales by 200+ households and businesses, 9 sponsoring organizations. Sign up by May 26 at edgewateryardsale.com to be on printed map.

NORTH SHORE UNITARIAN CHURCH - DEERFIELD

Sat June 17 / 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.

2100 Half Day Road-Bannockburn (yes-Bannockburn) / 312.857.3555

www.nsucrummage.org

CASH only

ST. JOHN XXIII –ST. NICHOLAS - EVANSTON

Sat June 24 / 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

806 Ridge Ave. | 847.864.1185

CASH/Registered Parishioner checks/Credit cards

BRIDGEVIEW

TREASURE DAYS

Sept 9 & 10, north of 87th St., west of railroad tracks

Sept 16 & 17, south of 87th

Sept 23 & 24, north of 87th, east of railroad tracks

Community-wide garage sale sponsored by the village, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. More info TBA at bridgeview-il.gov

FRIENDS OF LAKE FOREST

LIBRARY

Sept 14 / 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. with library membership (you can buy at door)

Sept 15 / 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Sept 16 & 17 / 9 am - 5 p.m. (Sun 50% off)

Lake Forest Recreation Center, 400 Hastings Road | 847.234.0636

PARK RIDGE

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Fri Sept 29, 6-8 p.m.

($5 entry fee)

Sat Sept 30, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

$5 Bag/Half Price Sat Sept 30, 1-2 p.m.

1300 W. Crescent Ave. | 847.823.4135

CASH only

CHRIST CHURCH

- WINNETKA

Thurs Oct 5 / 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

470 Maple (Oak & Maple) 847.446.2850

CASH/check/Venmo

WINNETKA

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Sat Oct 14 / Sale Hours TBD

620 Lincoln (Lincoln/Pine)/725 Pine (at Prospect) 847.446.0575

CASH/ Venmo/checks over $25/ credit cards over $50

The rise & decline of international & US workers' day parades Op-Ed

by Dr. Victor Devinatz

Since 1890, May Day (May 1), also known as International Workers’ Day or International Labor Day, has been celebrated by workers, trade unions and labor activists around the globe. While not commemorated in the United States, this holiday’s origins emerged from Chicago events of 1886. The Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions supported a proposal that trade unions strike on May 1, 1886, to attain the eight-hour workday. Some 500,000 workers struck in U.S. cities, with 80,000 demonstrators marching down Chicago’s Michigan Avenue in what has been deemed the world’s first May Day parade.

On May 3, 1886, at the McCormick Harvester plant in Chicago, police fired into a crowd, killing four and injuring many, leading to a May 4 Haymarket Square meeting to protest police violence, where an exploding bomb killed one policeman (six died later). Eight trade union activists were found guilty of inciting murder. Four of them were hung (although their involvement was unproven), one committed suicide and three others were granted clemency by Illinois Gov. John Peter Altgeld, who said they did not receive a fair trial.

In honor of the Haymarket martyrs and the eight-hour workday demonstrations on May 1, 1886, the first International Workers’ Day was celebrated on May 1, 1890, after the 1889 Marxist International Socialist Congress in Paris declared it a holiday. History shows the rise and decline of U.S. International Workers’ Day celebrations has been directly related to the U.S. Left’s strength in trade unions and society.

For example, the 1891 New York City (NYC) May Day parade drew 15,000 marchers, organized by the Central Labor Federation (CLF) and the Socialist Labor Party (SLP). Several thousand, including 150 children who labored in sweatshops affiliated with the United Hebrew Trades (UHT), carried signs reading, “We want children in schools instead of in shops!” and “We want eight hours, sixteen are too much!” Although the conservative American Federation of Labor (AFL) initially commemorated May Day, by the late 1890s, the AFL withdrew its support because of the SLP’s, and after 1901, the Socialist Party of America’s (SPA) domination of the holiday. The AFL officially refused to back May Day celebrations in 1903, although more radical trade unions and labor activists continued to support the holiday. This resulted in the AFL promoting Labor Day rather than May Day as the U.S. trade union movement’s preferred holiday, which led to May Day celebrations becoming more tightly connected to the Left.

With the SPA’s membership and strength peaking from 1910 to 1920, increased participation and attendance at May Day parades

reflected this power. Organized by the SPA, the CLF and the UHT, the 1910 NYC May Day parade drew some 60,000 marchers, including 10,000 women who had participated in the successful 1909 garment strike. In 1911, some 500,000 persons, mostly from NYC’s Lower East Side, observed that year’s May Day parade.

The 1917 Russian Revolution resulted in the 1919 SPA split; the leftwing left to form two Communist parties. By the early 1920s, there were far fewer members in these three left-wing groups than in the pre-1919 SPA. With the 1919 “Red Scare,” there were some May Day parades, but they were attacked by police. Others were cancelled, including the one in NYC. In 1929, the NYC May Day parade resumed and included only 10,000 marchers, far smaller than those held at the SPA’s apex.

As SPA and Communist Party USA (CPUSA) membership increased during the Great Depression, so did May Day parades’ size. SPA and CPUSA turned out 20,000 in the joint 1934 NYC May Day parade, with more than 100,000 observers. Because of Hitler’s threat, participants carried banners reading, “Down with Fascism!” At the Union Square meeting after the parade, there were demands for unemployment insurance and for a shorter workday with no decrease in pay. In 1936, the two parties held another united May Day parade in NYC with between 250,000 and 300,000 marchers from 150 different trade unions, the SPA and the CPUSA. Several participating unions were affiliated with the recently-formed Committee for Industrial Organization, of which the CPUSA exerted significant influence. The New York Times referred to the parade as “one of the largest and most orderly parades in the history of the event.”

With the rise of the Cold War and McCarthyism in the late 1940s, the CPUSA came under vigorous assault, which negatively impacted May Day parade participation. On May Day 1951, CPUSA-led trade unions conducted a NYC parade, which The New York Times characterized as “the shortest parade in years.” Under such inhospitable conditions, it was difficult for May Day parades to survive.

For a revival of U.S. May Day commemorations, a viable Left within both the U.S. trade unions and the nation must be reborn. Until then, the only U.S. workers’ holiday will remain Labor Day which, unfortunately, no longer celebrates U.S. workers’ contributions for many people, but instead marks the end of summer.

Dr. Victor G. Devinatz is Distinguished Professor of Management, specializing in labor relations, and was the Hobart and Marian Gardner Hinderliter Endowed Professor (2014-2015) at Illinois State University. He can be contacted at vgdevin@ilstu.edu.

The Haymarket Memorial located at 175 N. Desplaines St. (T. River photo).

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