Clara Lemlich

Overview

Clara Lemlich Shavelson born Gorodok, Ukraine March 26, 1896 (d. 1982). American labor leader, noted for Uprising of 20,000 shirtwaist workers 1909; suffragist; pacifist Communist; organized American League Against War and Fascism in 1930s; protested nuclear weapons; promoted UN Genocide Convention; opposed Vietnam War.

Quotations

On 1951 trip to Europe: "Peace was the most important issue to all those European workers. We heard that everywhere we went. If any of us had thought that there was a danger of war from the Soviet Union or anywhere in Europe, we were convinced now we had been wrong. We were convinced that our job was to go back and tell American workers that if they too would struggle for peace, there could be no war.” (Jewish Life, Nov. 1954, p. 11; photo activists with attitude)