A 21st Century WPA: Back from Halimuhfack

Episode 8 of Essential Work: Exploring the Past, Present, and Future of Jobs, brought to you by the Battle of Homestead Foundation:

A 21st Century WPA: Back from Halimuhfack

Taking a look at the most impactful and ambitious employment program in American history: the Works Progress Administration, or WPA

Includes:

1. Nathan Ruggles talks with Max Page of the University of Massachusetts Amherst about his recent piece in Labor Notes entitled “In the Face of Mass Unemployment, We Need a 21st Century WPA.”  Page is Professor of Architecture and a Director of Historic Preservation Initiatives and Vice President of the Massachusetts Teachers Association.  They review the powerful past legacy of the WPA, his proposal for a WPA for today, and a vision for what such a program could mean for the future.

• The Living New Deal: https://livingnewdeal.org

2.  Larry McCullough follows up with a song recording that directly resulted from WPA initiatives: “Halimuhfack” by Zora Neale Hurston.  Nathan and Larry also discuss the latest news from the Battle of Homestead Foundation.

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