Karen Nussbaum by Kevin Abosch

Labor Activist Karen Nussbaum to be Featured in Susman Lecture November 14

This year’s Susman Lecture will feature longtime labor activist Karen Nussbaum, co-founder in 1972 of 9to5: Organization of Women Office Workers and founding director of Working America. Born in Chicago Illinois into an activist family, Nussbaum joined the anti-war movement as a teenager. 9to5, which addressed issues faced by female office workers, and its sister organization, the union District 925, SEIU, were a leading force in the emerging working women’s movement and the growth of women’s organizing in unions. They inspired the movie 9 to 5 (1980), with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton. The Susman Lecture series was established by ALBA to honor one of its founding members, Lincoln vet Bill Susman. Join us live for this online event on November 14 at 3pm Eastern time.

Fall Tribute to Lincoln Volunteers

Stay tuned for a live online tribute to the volunteers of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade this fall, which will feature, among other things, testimonies of grandchildren.

Alba/Puffin Human Rights Award 2024: Call for Nominations

The ALBA/Puffin Human Rights Award is an annual prize of $100,000 presented by the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives and the Puffin Foundation for individuals or organizations whose work has had an exceptionally positive impact on the advancement and/or defense of human rights. The award honors the activist tradition of the U.S. volunteers who joined the International Brigades to fight in the Spanish Civil War to stem the rise of fascism.

Submission Deadline: September 30. More information at alba-valb.org/alba-programs/alba-puffin-human-rights-project/

Are you the Grandchild of an ALB Veteran? We Need You!

We want to hear from the second generation of ALB descendants!  Send us a short (1-2 minute) video clip talking about your memories of an ALB grandparent or what it means to carry on their legacy.

Suggestions on how to record videos for ALBA:

If using a phone, turn your phone sideways so its camera shoots landscape and not portrait (i.e., we need the image horizontal, like a TV screen).Go to your phone’s settings and make sure it’s recording at the highest resolution. On an iPhone, go to Settings, Camera, Record Video, then choose 4K at 30FPS. This will record in 4K, which gives us maximum flexibility in editing.

– Prop your camera on a solid object (a shelf, a pile of books, a music stand) two feet or so in front of you, and put the camera on “selfie” mode (i.e., so you can see your image on the screen). Try to place the phone or camaera at the same height as your eyes, so you’re looking straight ahead, and fill the screen with your head and shoulders as best you can, i.e., the top of your head should be very close to, but not cut off by, the top of the frame.

– Put your script as close to your phone or camera as you can, so you’re looking straight ahead at it while looking at the camera lens. Ideally, you’d speak from memory so you can look at the camera and not look like you’re reading.

– You want light illuminating your face (with a light source, like a lamp or a window, in front of you) and avoid backlighting.

– It’s best to set up your shot looking into empty space — i.e. if you’re standing just in front of a wall or a bookshelf, we’ll see that wall or bookshelf in focus, which isn’t good. If you’re filming in the empty space of a big room, the background becomes out of focus and abstract, and we can pay attention to your face and not what’s going on behind you.

– When you are recording please do not turn the camera off right away, wait a few moments first. The purpose of this is our editorial team can ensure your video does not cut to the following segment abruptly.

– Be mindful of audio: Being close to the phone or camera is best. The farther you are from the phone, the more distant you’ll sound. Choose a quiet place to film if you can.

Please reach out with any questions or if you need support

Send your videos to ALBA at info@alba-valb.org or via WeTransfer to info@alba-valb.org