On the eve of international women's day in Derry, members of the radical union, Industrial Workers of the World IWW erected a mural at Free Derry Corner.
The day itself is an important occasion as we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the death of one of our founding sisters, Lucy Parsons, who died on this day back in 1942.
Parsons, was an influential American labour organiser, most notable for being a co-founding of the IWW back in 1905 along with the likes of James Connolly amongst other noted revolutionaries of the day. She had been described at the time by the Chicago Police Department in the local and international press as "more dangerous than a thousand rioters".
She participated in the anarchist movement in the US contributing to "The Alarm", a radical newspaper. Lucy also edited the "Liberator", a radical newspaper that supported the IWW, and worked with the International Labour Defense, a legal advocacy group.
Following her husband's 1887 infamous execution in relation to the events of the Haymarket affair, Parsons remained committed radical labour organising. One of her last appearances was a speech to striking workers at International Harvester in February 1941, at age of 90 years old.
Parsons was clear on the nature of class struggle, stating "My conception of the strike of the future is not to strike and go out and starve, but to strike and remain in, and take possession of the necessary property of production", anticipating the labour tactics of sit-down strikes and worker occupations.
As once again we mark International Women’s Day locally and across the world, we do so remembering those who have and still do inspire countless working class women, from our mothers, our neighbours and those such as Lucy Parsons. Those who believe that women must be organised and unionised if we are to achieve our goals, to be truly liberated by seeing an end to both patriarchy and capitalism.
IWW International Women’s Day statement: https://www.onebigunion.ie/post/8m-international-women-s-day
IWW Lucy Parsons: https://archive.iww.org/history/biography/LucyParsons/1/
You can join the IWW today wherever you work or live at the following link www.iww.org.uk/join