Busboys and Poets Books Presents STANDING UP
Date and Time
May 11, 2022 6:00 pm
Location
14th & V
2021 14th St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20009
May 11, 2022 6:00 pm
14th & V
Inspired by five decades of organizing, Standing Up spotlights those who clean bloody hospital sheets, forge parts for sewer pipes, arrange flights, or process checks — while caring for kids, holding relationships together and wrestling with multiple forms of oppression. As they stand up, slow down, form unions, leave an abusive relationship, or just stir up good trouble, the characters in this multi-generation novel entertain and enlighten, make us laugh and rage, and encourage us to love deeply, that we may continue the fight for justice.
Ellen Bravo and Larry Miller come to the Busboys stage to discuss their inspiring new novel They will be in conversation with the president of the Metro Washington Labor Council Dyana Fosterer.
Co-hosted by Metro Washington Labor Council and DC Labor Fest
This event is free and open to all. Our program begins at 6:00 pm, with an introduction from a member of our Busboys and Poets team, and will be followed by an audience Q&A. Signed copies of STANDING UP: TALES OF STRUGGLE will be available after the event. Copies may also be purchased through Eventbrite. Full dinner service is available throughout the show. Please note that this event will not be livestreamed.
We ask that guests RSVP in order to receive direct updates about the event from Busboys and Poets Books. Proof of RSVP may be requested on arrival if capacity is reached.
Praise for Standing Up:
“Shocking, terrifying, inspiring and deeply felt lives of the unsung.”
– Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
“Wonderful story of class, class struggle and regular people, about change and also joy.”
– Bill Fletcher, Jr., author of The Man Who Fell Out of the Sky and Solidarity Divided
“An essential novel for any union organizer or labor movement enthusiast.”
– AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
“A love story, a tale of parenting and friendship, a wonderful depiction of stepping into power.”
– Rep. Pramila Jayapal, chair, Cong. Progressive Caucus
“These powerful tales of struggle will enrich our real and daily lives.”
– Gloria Steinem, activist and author
Ellen Bravo organized working women for over 20 years with 9to5, the group that inspired the movie. In late 2003 she co-founded the Family Values @ Work network which helped win paid leave and paid sick days policies around the country. She is the author of three non-fiction books, including Taking On the Big Boys. Standing Up: Tales of Struggle is her second novel. Her first, Again and Again, about date rape and politics, was published in 2015. More information is available on http://ellenbravo.com.
Larry Miller is a former union member and shop steward with two decades of experience in jobs ranging from a hospital laundry to steel mills and medical equipment manufacturing. A layoff sent him to college, followed by almost two decades in schools as a teacher and then administrator. For twelve years he served on the school board of the Milwaukee Public Schools, including two terms as president. Miller is an editor of Rethinking Schools.
Dyana Forester is a proud, lifelong D.C. resident, who currently serves as President of the Metro Washington Labor Council AFL-CIO. Previously she was the Political & Community Affairs Director for United Food & Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 400. Prior to joining UFCW Local 400, she served as the Southern Region Field Organizer at Jobs With Justice, where she worked to build local community-labor coalitions throughout the South. Dyana’s work has supported national and local campaigns for paid family medical leave, increasing the minimum wage to $15, and protecting immigrant’s rights. In addition to her professional work, she was elected to serve as board Chair for Empower DC, an At-large Delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, and two terms as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 1B06.
