The Gentle General: Rose Pesotta, Anarchist and Labor OrganizerThis is the first major biography of Rose Pesotta, the organizer and vice president of the International Ladies Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) from 1933 to 1944. After moving to the United States from the Ukraine in 1913, Pesotta became involved in the resurgence of the garment workers' industry, women's labor colleges, and labor activism. While working for the union, she confronted serious opposition as a woman and an anarchist within an all-male bureaucracy. This book chronicles Pesotta's life while exploring a number of personal political themes. The author examines Pesotta's relationships and friendships as they reflect the issues of gender, power, and sexuality, paying particular attention to her relationships with Sacco and Vanzetti and with Emma Goldman. In the course of this biography, Leeder portrays the inherent conflicts between anarchism and bureaucratic organization and between female consciousness and male-dominated institutions. The book explores the potential for pragmatic activism by social visionaries and offers clear contextual frameworks within which to compare and contrast Pesotta to others in similar historical roles. |
Contents
The New Life | 15 |
Sacco and Vanzetti | 39 |
The Challenging Years | 65 |
Political Work | 105 |
Home Friends and Family | 125 |
From Organizer to Author to Rank and File | 149 |
Glossary | 177 |
Bibliography | 201 |
Other editions - View all
The Gentle General: Rose Pesotta, Anarchist and Labor Organizer Elaine J. Leeder Limited preview - 1993 |
The Gentle General: Rose Pesotta, Anarchist and Labor Organizer Elaine J. Leeder No preview available - 1993 |
Common terms and phrases
activist activities Alexander Berkman Alice Kessler anar anarchism anarchist movement Angeles arrested became began believed Berkman Boston Bread chist chose colleagues committee Communists comrades continued David Dubinsky December dedicated deportation Derazhnya dressmakers Dubinsky Papers Edward Rotker efforts Emma Goldman Emma's Esther Executive Board fact Fannia Cohn father February felt feminist force friends garment industry Garment Workers Ibid ideology ILGWU ILGWU Archives immigrants Interview involved issues Jewish Jews Kessler Harris knew Kushnarev labor colleges labor movement labor organizing later leader letter Levy lived male Masya ment Mollie Steimer never Nonetheless participated Pesotta Papers Photo picket lines political Powers Hapgood radical relationship revolution revolutionary Road to Freedom Rose Pesotta Rose's Russia Sacco and Vanzetti sister social spoke strike struggle tion Trade Union tried unionists United vice president wanted woman writing wrote York City