Happy Birthday!

"The Joan of Arc of the Working Class,"

(Elizabeth) Gurley Flynn

born 8/7/1890
in Concord, NH
(d Sept 5, 1964, Moscow, USSR)

A life-long rebel, IWW organizer (including the 1912 Lawrence, Mass "bread & roses" strike), National Board member of the CPUSA and activist extraordinary. She was the inspiriition for one of the few known labor songs recognizing the female contribution. Her good friend, Joe Hill wrote her just a few hours before his execution that his song, "The Rebel Girl" was written with her in mind.

          That's the Rebel Girl,
          That's the Rebel Girl,
          To the working class she's a precious pearl.
          She brings Courage, Pride and Joy...
          To the fighting Rebel Boy...
          We've had girls before,
          But we need some more in the Industrial Workers of the World...
          For it's great to fight for freedom with a Rebel Girl.
  
                  The Songs of Joe Hill, Barrie Stavis & Frank Harmon

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