I’ve got something to say!

The Clara Lemlich awards for social activism celebrate the lives of incredible women whose many decades of brilliant activism have made real and lasting change in the world.

The 2023 Lemlich Awards were held at the Museum of the City of New York on Friday, May 19 – video of the event is available here, and the online exhibit featuring this year’s honorees will be available in late June.

In 2023 we honor: Black and Latino cultural correspondent Angela Fontanez, urban environmentalist Olive Freud, civil rights and UFT organizer Velma Hill, Chinatown union leader Alice Ip, and prison reform organizer Barbara Martinsons. In memoriam: Holocaust educator Anita Weisbord and Clara Lemlich’s daughter Rita Margules.

Connecting Activists is part of our ongoing effort to let young activists hear stories directly from those with more experience. Take a look at the growing number of interviews done by some remarkable high school and college students—you’ll be inspired.

Inspired to support the Lemlich Awards? We could use your help.

The 2022 Honorees

Watch the 2022 ceremony

Watch the Labor Chorus Musical Introduction

Browse other years

Who was Clara Lemlich?

“I’ve got something to say!” shouted the 23-year old Clara Lemlich in her native Yiddish during a tense, crowded meeting of garment workers in Cooper Union’s Great Hall in 1909. Rising from the audience, she interrupted Samuel Gompers and the other union leaders on stage. Her speech inspired the crowd, leading to an unexpected vote to strike, and to what would become known as the Uprising of 20,000.

Born to a Jewish family in the Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), Lemlich migrated to the U.S. in 1903, found work in the garment industry, and soon became active in the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union. The 1909 strike led to reforms, but the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory was a hold-out, and refused to implement safety improvements.

The fire that took 146 lives on March 25, 1911 was seen across the country as a tragedy that could have been avoided, and it sparked a movement that pushed politicians to accept a new notion about the responsibilities of government. Lemlich continued to be active in the labor movement until she was pushed out for her leftist politics. She continued to work for women’s suffrage, led a boycott of butcher shops to protest meat prices, campaigned for unemployment relief, and fought for tenants’ rights.

One hundred and seven years later we are proud to honor her legacy and to honor those who follow proudly in her footsteps.

Credits

The Clara Lemlich Awards are hosted by LaborArts and the Remember the Triangle Fire coalition, and were organized by Rachel Bernstein, Esther Cohen, May Chen, Sherry Kane and Rose Imperato.

We are enormously grateful for generous funding from the 21st Century ILGWU Heritage Fund, and for the many years of support from the Puffin Gallery for Social Activism at the Museum of the City of New York, and for everyone’s understanding and assistance as we all try to manage in this time of pandemic. We will be back with an in person event, and with video interviews with our honorees, as soon as it is possible.