Free Virtual Lecture Series by the Museum of Work & Culture Launches
Valley Talks Kickoff with Saylesville Massacre Presentation on January 9
WOONSOCKET, R.I. – Valley Talks, a series of biweekly historical lectures by the Museum of Work & Culture, begins Sunday, January 9. All events are free and take place at 1 pm on Zoom.
The series will kick off with The Battle of the Gravestones & The Saylesville Massacre of 1934, a talk by Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO Patrick Crowley.
In 1934, workers across Rhode Island went on strike as part of one of the largest industrial actions in American history – the General Textile Strike. In the mill village of Saylesville, workers fought a week-long street battle with deputy sheriffs and the National Guard. Two workers were killed in an event known as “The Saylesville Massacre.” But what if the story we tell about what happened on the streets of Saylesville is incomplete? This lecture helps round out the story, taking it in a different direction.
Individuals can register for the talk by visiting: https://bit.ly/3GxHzvd
Patrick Crowley is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, representing 80,000 working women and men across Rhode Island. He’s been a union organizer for 25 years, working at different times for the Teamsters Union, the Hospital Workers Union, and the National Education Association Rhode Island.
He holds two Master’s Degrees in Labor Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and in History from the University of Rhode Island. Crowley serves on the boards of several organizations, including Climate Jobs Rhode Island, the Institute for Labor Studies and Research, the United Way of Rhode Island’s Community Advisory Board, and the board of directors of the Museum of Work and Culture Foundation.
He is the author of a recent essay in the Rhode Island History journal about Civil Rights organizing on the Providence Waterfront during World War Two. In his spare time, Crowley is a yoga teacher and mountain climber. He lives in Lincoln with his wife and son.
Other Valley Talks will include:
January 23: Smithsonian Museum Specialist Noriko Sanefuji discusses the use of artifacts and objects in analyzing and presenting the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II.
February 6: Retired National Park Ranger Chuck Arning and member of the Nipmuc community Bruce Curliss discuss the complexities of language in describing the Blackstone Valley’s indigenous lifeways, contrasting ways in which native communities and English settlers used and viewed the landscape.
February 20: In anticipation of the Museum of Work & Culture’s 25th anniversary exhibition “Hollywood Comes to Woonsocket,” researcher Kathryn Sos-Hayda and Woonsocket Historical Society President Irene Blais share their research on the city’s heyday as a performing arts destination and home of artistic talent.
March 6: Scholar Patrick Lacroix discusses the history of pre-1860s Quebecois immigration to the United States, revealing the complex tapestry of kinship and infrastructure that led to large-scale French-Canadian mobility before the U.S. Civil War.
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s oldest and only state-wide historical organization, is dedicated to honoring, interpreting, and sharing Rhode Island’s past to enrich the present and inspire the future. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st-century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the John Brown House Museum, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, and the Aldrich House.
The headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society are located at 110 Benevolent Street, Providence, RI 02906. Information: (401) 331-8575. Website: rihs.org. Follow the RIHS on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.