Archived in Photography
The Struggle for Justice project was sponsored in 1998 by Wisconsin Labor History Society and funded in part by the Wisconsin Humanities Council with support from the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission. Co-sponsors providing exhibition sites included: American Federation of Teachers, Local 212, Milwaukee Area Technical College; Bayland; Brown County Library; Fiesta Mexicana, Milwaukee; Latino Arts, Inc.; La Crosse County Historical Society; Madison Area Technical College Student Life Office and Minority Student Affairs; Madison Urban Ministry; MEChA, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, UW-Madison; Milwaukee Public Library; South Central Federation of Labor; State Historical Society of Wisconsin; Superior Public Library; United Community Center, Milwaukee; UW-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library; United Migrant Opportunities Services, Inc.; UW-Green Bay Center for History and Social Change; UW-Stevens Point History Department; Wisconsin Conference of Churches Migrant Ministry Ecumenical Partnership; and Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.
Struggle for Justice: The Migrant Farm Worker Labor Movement in Wisconsin is a photo-journalistic account of dramatic grass roots efforts among farm workers to organize an independent labor union, Obreros Unidos (United Workers), in Central Wisconsin during the 1960s. Using historic photographs and text written by participants in the movement, Lucha por la Justicia (Struggle for Justice) describes in detail the first sustained attempt to form a migrant farm-worker union in the Great Lakes Region. Co-authored by Obreros Unidos founder Jesus Salas and union photographer/journalist David Giffey, the Struggle for Justice exhibit includes 110 black-and-white photographs, Spanish and English text blocks, and supplementary information such as maps and news stories. A copy of the Struggle for Justice booklet may be downloaded here in PDF format. The booklet contains an abbreviated bi-lingual text and 20 photos from the exhibit.
The Struggle for Justice exhibit has been displayed at dozens of locations in Wisconsin, including community centers, campuses, churches, museums, and galleries. It continues to be available for exhibitions of one month or less for a $250 installation/rental fee, plus travel expenses (depending on location). For information about the availability of the exhibit contact: David Giffey by telephone at 608/753-2199, or by e-mail at barnowl@mhtc.net.