Coastside Author Brigid O'Farrell Discusses Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Labor Movement At Pacifica Democrat's Breakfast Meeting - Saturday April 16, 2011

On Saturday April 16th, author Brigid O'Farrell will be the guest speaker at the Pacifica Democrat's monthly breakfast meeting, held between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. in the Banquet room of the Sharp Parp Park Golf Course Restaurant, Sharp Park Blvd. and Hwy 1, in Pacifica. She will be speaking on her latest book, She Was One of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker.

Brigid O'Farrell is an independent scholar whose research and writing focuses on employment equity, especially for women in unions. She has traveled from factories in New England, to child care centers in the Midwest; from fire and police stations in the Southwest to union halls all across the country. A sociologist by traning, she delves into labor history to better understand the issues and barriers confronting today's workers.

In She was One of Us: Eleanor Roosevelt and the American Worker, O'Farrell tells the story of how Eleanor Roosevelt's deep and enduring commitment to the labor movement developed and how she translated that commitment into action. In her 1996 book Rocking the Boat: Union Women's Voices 1915-1975, with Joyce Kornbluh, O'Farrell first heard the stories told by union women about meeting with the First Lady at the White House, visiting her at Val-Kill, and joining her on the campaign trail or at union meetings. When labor history books and Roosevelt biographies provided little insight into Roosevelt's work with unions, she began her own research.

O'Farrell is a lecturer at Mills College and affiliated with the Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project, George Washington University. Previous associations include: Stanford University's Institute for Research on Women and Gender, the Women's Research and Education Institute, Washington, D.C., the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences, and the Wellesley College Center for Research on Women.

O'Farrell is also president of the Coastside Democrats, serves on the San Mateo Democratic Central Committee, and is a member of the National Writers Union, Local 1981. She lives in
Moss Beach with her husband, TJ Glauthier. They have four sons and she is very proud to have given talks on Eleanor Roosevelet in all three of her grandsons' elementary schools.

All Pacifica Democrats meetings are open to the general public. It is neither necessary to be a member of the club, nor even a Democrat to attend. Full breakfast is available for $12; continental- $6 and coffee only- $3. Doors open at 9:00a.m. Seating is between 9:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and runs until 11:30 a.m. For further information, or to RSVP, please call 415-246-0775 or email barietta@hotmail.com

 Submitted by Barbara Arietta