Song, Struggle, and Solidarity

The New York City Labor Chorus (NYCLC) was the first group of its kind when it formed in 1991 with members of different unions joining together in song. Song, Struggle and Solidarity: The New York City Labor Chorus in Its Twenty-fifth Year is the product of Mark Abendroth's ethnography on the NYCLC during its calendar year from fall 2016 to spring 2017. Abendroth was in his sixth year as an active member of the chorus at that time. He kept field notes of nearly every NYCLC performance and weekly rehearsal during the year. He also interviewed twenty-eight of the approximately eighty-five members and studied documents in the group's history. Chapters include a history of singing in the labor movement in the United States, a history of the NYCLC in its first twenty-four years, and a focus on developments during the group's twenty-fifth year. The book ends with the author's conclusions on the NYCLC's accomplishments, challenges, and possibilities.

Mark Abendroth is associate professor of education at SUNY Empire State College. He is author of Rebel Literacy: Cuba's National Literacy Campaign and Critical Global Citizenship.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. A Brief History of Singing for Justice in the US Workplace
2. A History of the NYC Labor Chorus
3. Songs of the 25th-Anniversary Gala Concert
4. The 25th-Anniversary Year
5. Findings from Interviews
6. Final Discussion and Conclusions
Bibliography
Index
About the Author