History Lecture Series
Left Coast City: The history of a political reputation
Wed. Feb. 3, 2016 7:30 p.m.
Kane Hall 130, UW Campus
James N. Gregory
Professor, University of Washington
Introduction by Charley Royer
James Gregory concludes the series with a look at Seattle’s left-leaning reputation. Based on events ranging from the 1919 IWW strike to the $15 minimum wage campaign, Seattle is often seen as exemplifying America’s “left coast.” Gregory will examine the reality behind this image, looking at the city’s long history of labor action and progressive activism, as well as the conservative responses and political conflicts they prompted.
James N. Gregory is a professor of history and former Harry Bridges Endowed Chair of Labor Studies. He is the prize-winning author of several books and many articles on issues of labor, migration, and civil rights. His books include The Southern Diaspora: How the Great Migrations of Black and White Southerners Transformed America and American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California. In 2005, Professor Gregory co-founded the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, a multimedia website that explores the history of struggles for social justice in the Seattle region. Developed in cooperation with community groups and featuring contributions from more than two hundred UW students and faculty, the project gives Seattle a unique window into its history of racial segregation and civil rights activism. Used as a resource by planners and lawmakers and in classrooms from middle school to university level, the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project and several companion projects have registered more than six million page views.
Brought to you by the UW Department of History and the UWAA, Excavating Seattle’s Histories is series of lectures that explore Seattle’s remarkable past.
UWAA and UWRA members receive discounted admission for the series and individual lectures! Not a member? Join today!
For more information, contact the UW Alumni Association at 206-543-0540 or uwalumni@uw.edu.
