Stories Stories from the Past Culture of Mother Jones Spirit of Mother Jones Stories from the Past Stories from the Past Culture of Mother Jones Culture of Mother Jones Spirit of Mother Jones Spirit of Mother Jones

Exhibits Hover over or tap for a description, then click on any of these to access an in-depth view of the exhibit.

Mapping Mother Jones This map opens a window onto Mother Jones’ activities and reach. These are just a fraction of the places Mother Jones travelled and organized. Click on each one to find a story. Mother Jones’ life was a whirlwind that connected to many struggles across the globe.

Mother Jones & Belleville Hell-raisers Exhibit Sites & Stories / Exhibits / Belleville Labor

The Costa Family and the Ludlow Massacre Sites & Stories / Stories / The Costa Family By Rosemary Feurer The Costa Family gave their lives for the union at Ludlow Massacre. More than a hundred years later, one family member is still seeking answers Linda Linville, the grand-niece of Charlie Costa writes of Cedi that “she was brave and feisty” and felt that the “fight for union was a woman’s responsibility.” She was full-term pregnant just before the massacre. Charlie’s mother “begged Cedi to go with her to someone's ranch. . . Cedi refused and told my grandmother that this was a woman's fight too and that the family needed to stay together." The family brought joy to the Ludlow camp and to the fight for union, from all accounts. ​ Charlie Costa, who was a key union organizer from Aguilar and had worked in the mines of southern Colorado since he was 12, was shot in the head during the April 20 battle. The next morning Cedi was discovered in the pit where they sought cover from the flying bullets over the bodies of her children. She was described as “badly charred” in some accounts. The children were clasped in each other's arms. ​ Newspapers reported that Onofrio, Charlie's father “created a demonstration at the morgue just as the bodies were being removed by a violent attack on the Colorado militia.” Linda writes that her grandparents saw Cedi’s body and it was bayoneted. While the coroners’ records do not show this, “I do not think my grandparents had any reason to lie about this so I would really like to get to the bottom of it.” ​ Some say Cedi had given birth and that this was why the women stayed in the pit. Linda writes “I know that this might be considered by some to be a minor matter considering the broad context of Ludlow, but it disturbs me that this baby’s death has been unacknowledged in the historical record.” ​ Cedi’s parents Antonio and Rafaela Mastro (Petrucella) were alive when they lost Cedi and their grandchildren. Linda would very much like to contact any descendants of the Mastros. ​ The little baby in the photo died of the flu in 1913, not in the massacre.

Learn More Anchor 1 Who was Mother Jones? When Mother Jones was mocked as the “grandmother of all agitators,” in the U.S. Senate, she replied that she would someday like to be called “the great-grandmother of all agitators.” Born Mary Harris in Cork Ireland in 1837, she was an immigrant refugee who lost her entire family in a pandemic, then lost everything in the Chicago Fire of 1871. ​ ​ She became a rebel for justice, and became known simply as "Mother Jones," the mother of the working class. An icon of labor history, she organized against child labor, for workers rights, and helped to shape a spirit of civil disobedience in the cause of justice. Mother Jones believed that a workers movement would replace “this moneyed civilization with a higher and grander civilization for the ages to come.” To learn more, including a short documentary about her, see : Who was Mother Jones? Chicago Mother Jones Statue Campaign Statue Campaign Recent Blogs Labor Day 2023 0 Post not marked as liked March of the Mill Children Commemorated 0 Post not marked as liked Historical Marker to Mother Jones - Evansville, Indiana 0 Post not marked as liked Celebrating Mother Jones in Chicago 0 Post not marked as liked St. Patrick's Day 2023 0 Post not marked as liked We Did It! Mother Jones at the Historic Water Tower 0 Post not marked as liked

Labor Rights Are Human Rights Exhibit, Workers Education Society, St. Louis Sites & Stories / Exhibits / Labor Rights

Mother Jones Monument Union Miners Cemetery, Mt. Olive Sites & Stories / Tours / Union Miners Cemetery About Mother Jones' Monument View Pictures of the Site Guided Tour Read About Mother Jone's Monument Mother Jones’ decision to be buried in Mt. Olive, Illinois' Union Miners Cemetery was due to the battles that were rooted not only in the 1890s but in the 1920s and 1930s. Jones valued the voice of the ordinary miner, and she felt that President John L. Lewis, the head of the United Mine Workers, was eliminating that rank-and-file voice. One month after she spoke at the commemoration event on October 12, 1923, she formally announced the site as her burial place. In 1930 she died and was initially buried there next to the Virden "martyrs" . ​ Soon, a fundraising effort was underway by the miners to build a fitting monument to Mother Jones. In the heart of the depression, when miners around the country were often penniless, they donated in mostly small amounts to build a tremendous 80-ton Minnesota pink granite, 22 feet high, flanked by two bronze statues of miners. They dug the site themselves. The site itself evokes what Mother Jones meant to a generation of trade unionists. The Union Miners Cemetery is in Mt. Olive, a small mining-town that was once the center of a rebellious group of miners who helped to secure Illinois as the solid rock for the United Mine Workers Union. Today thousands of visitors come each year to pay their respects to the memory to Mother Jones and the spirit that guided her and the founders of the labor movement in the United States. They reflect about the connections between the past and the present. ​ The cemetery was established in 1899, when commemorations of the miners killed in the 1898 “Virden riot” became controversial in the Mt. Olive cemetery where they were originally buried. The bodies of the Virden “martyrs” were re-interred in a cemetery established as the Union Miners Cemetery by the Mt. Olive United Mine Workers local. Commemorations of these events in the following years contributed to a generation of activism in the Illinois coal fields. They did this by claiming the kind of memorial space that was denied in other places, such as Haymarket, where police often disrupted commemorations. This built a sense of connection between past and present in the area, and made it clear that ordinary workers had changed the course of history. The role of the ordinary worker came into focus. Mt. Olive was one of the few places in the country where labor history was taught before the 1970s. View Pictures from the Site This is a unique place in the history of the labor movement; it was the only union-owned cemetery in the country. This is a place with a monument to Mother Jones, but it also evokes the power and potential of the labor movement. It is a place of reflection and remembering, of thinking of the labor movement’s roots. It is a shrine not only to Jones but to the sacrifices that connected human rights and labor rights, a place where people wonder when and why labor lost power. Cemetery Tour Guided Tour Learn about this site and the controversies that surrounded it. See dozens of photos, songs, poems, performance by actress Vivian Nesbitt, about the tremendous struggle and effort that brought Mother Jones to this site. The tour below can be accessed from either your computer, or your sm artphone/ipad. Copyright Rosemary Feurer & Mother Jones Heritage Project. Funded by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council. Other options: The Clio version of the tour.

Become a Member Member $ 25 25$ Every year Select Vote at annual meetings Support our organization's work Union & Organization $ 100 100$ Every year Select Vote at annual meetings Support our organization's work

Virden Mine War Tour Sites & Stories / Tours / Virden Mine War Tour L earn about the major battle in Illinois labor history. See dozens of photos, listen to songs, poems. about the tremendous struggle and its controversy. The tour was on the Vamonde platform, but unfortunately that company has gone out of business. Check back by July 15, 2023, as we put it on ARC-GIS. Thank you for your understanding. Meanwhile, see the map below for a preview of the sites below. ​Copyright Rosemary Feurer & Mother Jones Heritage Project. Funded by a grant from the I llinois Humanities Counci l. Get 2 page printable tour guide Tour guide

Endorsers - Chicago Statue Campaign Thanks to all who have donated & endorsed the Mother Jones Chicago Statue project. We are half-way there! Add your name today. Endorse this campaign Donate to the Statue Campaign Our Endorsers Musicians Women's Unions Irish Political Attorneys Historians Grassroots Rodrick Dixon & Alfreda Burke, World-renowned singers of opera, jazz, gospel “Mother Jones is a great ambassador for our city. Her story rings the bells of freedom, justice, equity and equality for all. . . . Her time has come for this recognition and many in years to come will enjoy learning about her contributions.” Anchor 1 Musicians Tom Morello ​Rich Daniels, Music Director, City Lights Orchestra 20th Century Fox TV/Empire/Ordinary Joe Senior Board Member, Chicago Federation of Musicians ​Catherine O'Connell, Irish Singer and Recording Artist ​Rodrick Dixon,Tenor & Alfreda Burke, Soprano World-renowned Singers of Opera, Jazz, and Gospel, ​​Liz Carroll, Irish American Musician Fiddler and Composer Sean P. Ryan, Irish Traditional Musician Katie Grennan, Irish Fiddle and Arts Educator women Women’s Organizations Working Women’s History Project American Association University Women, Chicago Branch Coalition of Labor Union Women, Pres. Katie Jordan League of Women Voters, Chicago Branch Chicago Women Take Action Chicago Women in the Trades , Ex. Dir. Jayne Vellinga Chicago Women Take Action, Pres. Caroline Gibbons Coalition of Labor Union Women, Southwestern Pennsylvania On behalf of SWPA CLUW we stand in Solidarity with those that support a statue to recognize Mother Jones, a champion for the working class. We are forever grateful of the sacrifices she made. Her legacy has made every woman leader strive for excellence in the Labor Movement. Chicago Women Take Action, Jackie Grimshaw, Chair Supporting women who make a difference in peoples lives is what we espouse. Recognizing Mother Jones in downtown Chicago would make locals and visitors alike aware of her contribution to those in need. Chicago Women's History Center, Mary Ann A. Johnson, President I whole heartedly endorse the effort to establish a statue in Chicago commemorating the important work and legacy of the fearless agitator for worker's rights, Mother Jones. Recognizing that the representation of women's contributions to Chicago are almost non-existent it is imperative that we immediately begin to correct this glaring omission. A statue honoring Mother Jones, placed in a central location in the city, will be help to elevate the often overlooked but essential histories of women, immigrants, workers, and ethnic groups and their contributions to our city. Organizations Clarence Darrow Commemorative Committee National Lawyers Guild, Chicago Judy Ancel, Cross Border Network "We need many statues of her across the nation to inspire future Mother Joneses." Pennsylvania Labor History Society Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education, Chicago, Pres. Daniel Lopez Ph.D. “Honoring an immigrant woman who chose to lead a nontraditional life, different from the gender expectations of her day, has a special resonance as we see women continue to make strides and take center stage in the life of the nation. ” Peter Rachleff, East Side Freedom Library, St. Paul, MN The East Side Freedom Library's mission is to inspire solidarity, work for justice, and advocate for equity for all. We see Mother Jones as an icon of this mission, and we are enthusiastic to see a statue. Irish & Orgs Irish & Irish-American Individuals & Endorsers Ireland's Consulate for Chicago and the Midwest ​Cork Spirit of Mother Jones Festival ​Irish American Heritage Center ​Austin Kelly, Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Committee Mary Pat Kelly Author and Filmmaker Galway Bay , Of Irish Blood , Irish Above All, Proud: the USS Mason, Martin Scorsese: A Journey “Cork-born Mary Harris “Mother” Jones embodied the feminine energy that shaped Ireland generation after generation and remade America. From the Iron Age Queen Maeve through the Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley right up to Presidents Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, Irish women lead – intrepid, unafraid, there – they stand up for the poor and marginalized. They survive. Mother Jones endured unimaginable personal loss – the death of her husband and three children – and went forth in their names to fight for justice. She chose Chicago as her base and now will be with us forever.” Kathy Cowan, Singer, Teacher, Actor “The world is a better place because of her fortitude, bravery and loving-kindness. Mother Jones deserves to be recognized by the city of Chicago with a statue. Thank you.” Therese M. Boyle, retired school psychologist Rev. Tom Hurley Pastor, Old St. Patrick’s Church, Chicago, IL Jim Houlihan, retired Cook County official Unions Unions ​ United Mine Workers of America, Cecil Roberts President Sara Nelson, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA ​Chicago Teachers Union #1, Pres Jessie Sharkey, VP Stacy Davis Gates United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers #11, Gary Menzel, Pres/ Business Manager: "Bringing a statue of a champion of labor to the City of Broad Shoulders is only fitting in the 21st. century. To have a statue of Mother Jones who was a voice for labor attached to the city of Chicago would let everyone know that Chicago was built by the working class." Bakery, Confectionary Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union, Antony L. Shelton, Pres. Illinois Education Association, Pres. Kathy Griffin ​International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Council #1, Pres James Allen ​Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council ​​Laborers International of North America, Pres. Terence O’Sullivan ​Painters District Council #1, Pres James Spiros ​Plumbers Local 130, Pres James Coyne ​International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, Pres Don Finn ​International Union of Operating Engineers #150 ​United Auto Workers Region 4, Ronald D. McInroy, Director ​​United Steelworkers Sub-district 1, Director Anthony Alfano ​Teamsters Joint Council 25, Pres. Terrence Hancock ​The Chicago Federation of Musicians, Local 10-208, Pres. Terry Jares ​Service Employees International Union Healthcare IL/IN/MO/KS, Pres Greg Kelley ​Sheet Metal Workers Local 73, Raymond Suggs, Pres & Bus. Mgr ​Sprinkler Fitters & Apprentices Union Local no. 281, Bus. Mgr Thomas M. Collins Carl Rosen, United Electrical, Radio, Machine Workers Mother Jones is more than overdue for recognition by the City of Chicago. A prominent monument for her is an important part of telling the history of the working class, the labor movement and women in Chicago. Political Figures Political Leaders Alderman Brendan Reilly, 1st ward Alderman Susan Sadlowski Garza, 10th Ward Alderman Matt O'Shea, 19th ward Alderman Michael D. Rodriguez, 22nd Ward ​Alderman Samantha Nugent , 39th ward ​​Alderman Andre Vazquez, 40th ward ​Alderman Matt Martin, 47th ward State Representative Lindsay LaPoint , 19th district Senator Antonio Munoz, 1st district, Assistant Senate Majority John Cullerton, Retired Illinois State Senate President Attorneys Attorneys National Lawyers Guild, Chicago Chapter​ Thomas Geoghegan, Depres, Schwartz and Geoghegan, Ltd. Michael Persoon, Depres, Schwartz and Geoghegan, Ltd. Anne Davis Michael Schorsch, Esq. Robert E. Lehrer Law Offices, Robert E. Lahrer Al Domanskis Boodell and Domanskis, LLC John Moran The Moran Group Susan G. Feibus Law Offices of Susan G. Feibus Julia Nowicki Judge (ret) Cook County Circuit Court Robert Cohen Patrick E. Deady Hogan and Marren Ltd. Stephen B. Goldberg Northwestern School of Law Dan Morrissey Mike Kralovec Susan Gzesh, Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnik and Dym Tom Allison Allison, Slutsky, and Kennedy, ret. Joseph E. Tilson, Esq. F. Thomas Hecht Matt Martin, Alderman, 47th ward Thomas Anthony Durkin, Durkin & Roberts Denise DeBelle, Law Offices of Denise M. DeBelle Susan Kaplan Joanne Kinoy James Fennery Karen Simpson Sign the attorneys' endorsement Endorsements Historians David Roediger, University of Kansas Eric Foner, Columbia University Michelle Nickerson, Loyola University Chicago Tim Gilfoyle, Loyola University Chicago Timothy Spears, Middlebury College Susan Schulten, University of Denver Robert Orsi, Northwestern University Carl Smith, Northwestern University Alessandro Portelli, University of Rome La Sapienza Zeese Papanicolas, San Francisco Art Institute Patrick Miller Northeastern Illinois University Bruce Levine, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana "A crucial figure in the history of Illinois and working people nationally. " Brad Hunt, Loyola University Chicago Lynn Dumenil, Occidental College Susan Ware, General Editor, Dictionary of American Biography Alice Kessler-Harris, Columbia University Kevin Boyle, Northwestern University Fred Hoxie, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Laura Edwards, Princeton University Marcus Rediker, Univerty of Pittsburgh James Barrett, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Julie Greene, University of Maryland Norman S. Cohen, Occidental College Sheyda Jahanbani, University of Kansas Thomas Jundt, Collegiate Prep School, NYC Sean Dinces, Long Beach Community College Will Jones, University of Minnesota Dana Rabin, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Emily E. LB. Twarog, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Erik McDuffie, History and Af-Am Studies, U of Illinois Michael D. Innis-Jimenez, University of Alabama Robert D. Johnston, University of Illinois, Chicago Tikia K. Hamilton, Loyola University Chicago Erik Gellman, University of North Carolina John D’Emilio, University of Illinois, Chicago Jeffrey Helgeson, Texas State University Kevin M. Schulz, University of Illinois, Chicago Daniel Graff, University of Notre Dame Brad Hunt, Loyola University Chicago Joseph Bigott, Purdue University Northwest Rosemary Feurer, Northern Illinois University Steven K Ashby, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Elizabeth S. Todd-Breland, University of Illinois, Chicago Nancy Maclean, Duke University Antoinette M. Burton, University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Gabe Winant, University of Chicago Christina Groeger, Lake Forest College Jonathan Levy, University of Chicago Amy Dru Stanley, University of Chicago Peter Cole, Western Illinois University Marcia Walker-McWilliams, UChicago, Black Metropolis Consortium Dominic Pacyga, Columbia College Ellen Skerrett, Independent Scholar Suellen Hoy, Notre Dame University Walter T.K. Nugent, Notre Dame University Bill Savage, Northwestern University Erin McCarthy, Columbia College Carlo Rotella, Boston College Ann Keating, North Central College William Sites, University of Chicago Elliott Gorn, Loyola University Chicago Kathryn Oberdeck, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Cathy Cohen, University of Chicago David Bates, Concordia University, Chicago Ted Karamanski, Loyola University Chicago Gema Santamaria, Loyola University Chicago Benjamin Johnson, Loyola University Chicago Susan Hirsch, Loyola University Chicago Lewis Erenberg, Loyola University Chicago Robert Bucholz, Loyola University Chicago Tanya Stabler, Loyola University Chicago Elizabeth Tandy Shermer, Loyola University Chicago Andrew Wilson, Loyola University Chicago Patricia Mooney-Melvin, Loyola University Chicago Amy Tyson, DePaul University Tobias Higbie, University of California Los Angeles, Coleen Doody, DePaul University Miles Harvey, DePaul University Rene Luis Alverez, Loyola University Chicago John Donoghue, Loyola University Chicago Deborah Cohen, Northwestern University Trude Jacobsen, Northern Illinois University E. Taylor Atkins, Northern Illinois University Kristin Huffine, Northern Illinois University Beatrix Hoffman, Northern Illinois University Sean Farrell, Northern Illinois University Brian Sandberg, Northern Illinois University Valerie Garver, Northern Illinois University Damian Fernandez, Northern Illinois University Eric Mogren, Northern Illinois University James D. Schmidt, Northern Illinois University Aaron Fogelman, Northern Illinois University Andy Bruno, Northern Illinois University Sarah Frohardt-Lane, Ripon College Nick Juravich, University of Massachusetts, Boston Edin Hajdarpasic, Loyola University Chicago Alice Weinreb, Loyola University Chicago Aidan Forth, MacEwan University Michael Honey, University of Washington, Tacoma Natalie Joy, Northern Illinois University Emma Kuby, Northern Illinois University John French, Duke University Michael Botson, Houston Community College Benjamin Sorensen, Cape Fear Community College Mother Jones deserves a statue in her honor, as she was seminal in organizing for worker power and labor rights. This woman "mourn[ed] for the dead, but [fought] like hell for the living! Colleen O'Neill, Utah State University Thomas L. Dublin, State University of New York at Binghamton Cecelia Bucki Fairfield University, CT Greg Hall, Western Illinois University Lou Martin, Chatham University Mother Jones was one of the strongest voices for working people in the early 20th century. By speaking truth to power and standing with workers in the darkest hours, she was an inspiration to many thousands across the country. Lilia Fernandez, Rutgers University Lara Vapnek, St. John's University Ken Fones-Wolf, West Virginia University Holger Droessler, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Chris Wright, City University of New York Eric Fure-Slocum, St. Olaf College Robyn Muncy, University of Maryland Joe Berry, College of San Francisco Heather Ann Thompson, University of Michigan Gordon Mantler, George Washington University Lorenzo Costaguta, University of Bristol Elizabeth McKilen, University of Maine Jim Beauchesne, Lawrence Heritage State Park Caroline Waldron, University of Dayton David Witwer, Penn State University Nathan Godfried, Univeristy of Maine Anthonio Ramirez, Elgin Community College Mary Ann Trasciatti, Hofstra University Sam Mitrani, College of DuPage Kristoffer Smemo, Washington University Patrick Dixon, Georgetown University Shelton Stromquist, University of Iowa Laurie Mercier, Vancouver Washington We need more public memorials documenting America's labor history! John McKerley, University of Iowa Nancy Quam Wickham California State University-Long Beach Alan Derickson, Penn State Joshua B. Freeman, Queens College and Graduate Center Darryl Heller, Indiana University-South Bend Ryan Dearinger, Eastern Oregon University-LaGrande Daniel Gilbert, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Nancy Quam-Wickham, California State University Brian Kelly, Queen’s University Belfast Ben Whisenhunt, College of DuPage Peter Rachleff, East Side Freedom Library, St. Paul, Minnesota James Young, Edinboro University David Brody, University of California-Davis Ian Rocksborough-Smith, History, University of the Fraser Valley Brian Greenberg, Monmouth University Lois Rita Helmbold, San Jose State University Daniel Clark, Oakland University-Ann Arbor, Michigan Jason Resnikoff, Columbia University Liesl Orenic, Dominican University-Chicago Dana Frank, University of California-Santa Cruz Christopher Phelps, University of Nottingham Dave Kamper, New Brookwood Labor College Di Kelly, University of Wollongong, Australia "Even in Australia, we respect the wonderful achievements, and believe a Mother Jones statue is a signal of respect. " Ian Rocksborough-Smith, University of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia’ Naomi R Williams, Rutgers University Fred Glass, City College of San Francisco Working people deserve to know their history and their heroes. A public monument to Mother Jones would help fill in that gap. Nancy Gabin, Purdue University Francis Shor, Wayne State University Michael Dennis, Acadia University, Nova Scotia Greg Geddes, SUNY Orange County Community College Aimee Loiselle, Smith College Mother Jones was a dedicated organizer, inspiring speaker, and brilliant strategist who established a potent public presence. Jennifer Sherer, University of Iowa Robert Forrant, University of Massachusetts Lowell Carol Quirke, SUNY Old Westbury Tula Connell, Independent Scholar, Washington D. C. Cindy Hahamovitch, University of Georgia-Athens Karen Miller, CUNY LaGuardia David Brundage, University of California Santa Cruz Joseph A. McCartin, Georgetown University Julia Smith, University of Manitoba-Winnipeg Paul C. Mishler, Indiana University-South Bend Cathy Brigden, RMIT University, Victoria, Australia Ron Schatz, Wesleyan University Eileen Boris, University of California-Santa Barbera "A long held dream for honoring women and workers!" Al Campbell, University of Utah Francis Ryan, Rutgers University Seth Widgerson, University of Maine-Augusta Ron Lind, San Jose City College Grace Reinke, University of Washington-Seattle David Dennis, Loyola University Chicago Juanita Del Toro, Harold Washington College David Zonderman, North Carolina State University "A figure in American and labor history well worth honoring with a statue" Mark Lause, University of Cincinnati Jack Metzgar, Roosevelt University Carl Weinberg, Indiana University Sean Carleton, University of Manitoba Jillian Marie Jacklin, University of Wisconsin -Green Bay Brian Leech, Augustana College Jeff Schuhrke, University of Illinois at Chicago David Hamilton Golland, Governors State University Jay Winston Driskell, Historical Research and Consulting Michael Goldfield Wayne State University Trish Kahle, Georgetown University Qatar Sharon McConnell-Sidorick, Independent Scholar Dan Sidorick, Rutgers University Eileen Eagan, University of Southern Maine Matthew Simmons, University of South Florida David Marquis, College of William & Mary Tami J. Friedman, Brock University Ellie Walsh, Governors State University Pat Reeve, Suffolk University Historians Sign the historians' endorsement I've heard of Mother Jones forever, but only recently learned what an amazing woman and organizer she was... and especially given the lack of statues of important females in Chicago -- I believe she will be a wonderful addition. The proposed location downtown, near her old sewing shop, would be a great choice!! - -Marian Sirefman, Oak Park, IL -statue donor As a native of Chicago I value the rich tradition of labor struggles in the city's history and think a statue to the best known and most revered woman in U.S. labor history can only enhance Chicago and the pride workers and especially women workers feel to be a part of the labor community of Chicago and Illinois. --Judy Ancel, Cross-Border Network Grassroots Grassroots Judie Moore Green, Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University Susan C. Flashman, Pres Maryland/DC Alliance for Retired Americans MicheleDuster, Ph.D. author and champion of racial and gender equity; Great-Granddaughter Ida B. Wells Katie Jordan, Illinois Labor History Society and Coalition of Labor Union Women Jacquelyn Kirley, Working Women's History Project We need to have visual support for Chicago's labor background and the women who fought for it. Keith Kelliher, retired president, SEIU Helen Ramirez-Odell, retired teacher, CTU Kassandra Tsitsopoulos We desperately need more statues of women in the city of Chicago. Mother Jones was a tireless fighter for workers of all ages to push for better working conditions. Chicago is a union town and needs to uplift these types of voices. Colleen White, Kansas City Missouri I grew up in Chicago and was always amazed at the statues in the City. However, the City is sadly lacking a statute that remembers a strident advocate for the downtrodden and working folks. I would appreciate your support of placing a statute of Mother Jones, who is a figure that represents these downtrodden and working folks, in the City. Plus I am as Irish as many Chicagoans, and it would be nice to see our heritage represented. Thank you. Julie Quirin, IEASO Mother Jones will be an excellent addition to downtown Chicago! Let Mother stand for all of Illinois! Patrick Murfin, Tree of Life UU Congregation Social Justice Team I am a former General Secretary-Treasurer and newspaper editor for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) which Mother Jones helped found. As an amateur labor historian and active blogger (Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout) I have written extensively about Mary Harris Jones and her essential role in the American labor movement. I am also a social justice activist for more than fifty years. No one is better deserving of a memorial statue than “the most dangerous woman alive.” Ellen C. Garza, Chicago IL Susan Ridgeway, Canton Ohio No one deserves this memorial more than Mary Harris. May her memory be an example for us all. James Tibensky, Wayne, IL Mother Jones was an important force in the drive to make unions a reality for American workers. She had deep Chicago roots. A statue of her in Chicago would be a great recognition of her impact and that of labor unions everywhere. We are a proud union family and urge the City of Chicago to erect a statue of Mother Mary Jones. John Risch, North Dakota She was the most courageous labor leader in American history. Nancy Keiser, Utah Donald A. Daeke, M.D. The labor movement is of critical importance and is well commemorated by Mother Jones' remembrance. Jeff Fites, Michigan This remarkable woman epidomises the strength of our nation and the respect for working women and men for which the city of Chicago is known. In honoring Mother Jones, the "City of Big Shoulders" elevates the dignity and values of fair wages, safe working conditions and respect for working people, whose big shoulders built this country we love. John Zurzaw, Oak Park, IL Margaret Burk, An important tribute to a woman who fought for justice for all people. William Arnold, Alaska Mother Jones was an inspiration to very many Americans (and others) as she kept the hope of E Pluribus Unum alive. Julia McSweeney, Retired CTU member /South Side Irish Parade Committee Member ​Carol Levine, Chicago Women Take Action Chicagoans will be inspired by learning about the work of Mother Jones. Anton Savoir, Teamsters for a Democratic Union, Kansas City, Missouri The recognition of labor's history and struggles is mandatory for labors growth and development. I am reminded that a people who don't know their history are condemned to repeat it. We must do all that is possible to build an active and viable labor movement. Michael Sacco, IBEW Local 21 A necessary addition to our great city's important working class history. Peter Kuttner, IATSE Local 600 Chicago is a city of working people, the kind of people Mother Jones served so well. Kathleen Wiegert, Chicago, Illinois Mother Jones changed lives and helped all of us understand the importance of standing up for social justice. Tim Tuten, The Hideout Mother Jones epitomizes the Chicago Spirit. She survived The Chicago Fire of 1871, to come out even more empathetic and stronger for the working people. Her statute should be centrally located and prominent for all too see and be inspired by! My only request is that it be built twice as tall! Mike Thomas, Chicago IL I whole heartedly endorse the placing of the Mother Jones statue at Wacker and Michigan. Sarah Rothschild, Chicago IL Mother Jones is such an important piece of Chicago's and the nation's labor history! Bruce Tigg, New York, NY Jerry Delaney, Oak Park, IL Recognition of the justice work of Mother Jones is long overdue! I’m grateful for the hard work of this group to bring this important recognition! Janet Raye Hansen, WeNeverForget.org Labor Martyrs Project Mother was always ready to help us, she never let us down. My Mayo great-grandfather contracted black-lung disease working as a stoker in Chester, PA. I'm thrilled that this statue will honor Mother Jones for her strength and for her commitment to better the lives of coal miners and countless other workers.-- Eileen Durkin, statue donor The recognition of an immigrant who did so much to extend rights to laboring men and women would acknowledge the importance of immigrants to the development of the city and highlight the role that women have played in securing social justice. Leonard Ramirez, Ph.D.Northeastern University