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Chalk Memorial
Posted by Nick Jehlen | March 26th, 2009
On March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in Manhattan claimed 146 young men and women. The story of the fire – the locked doors that prevented escape, the grinding work conditions, the fire escape that led nowhere, and victims jumping to their deaths rather than be burned alive – is a part of history not just because the event was tragic, but because the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union and the Womens' Trade Union League worked tirelessly to collect testimony of survivors and push for safety regulations. They made change in the streets, in the courthouses, and in union halls, and those changes saved countless lives. It's worth remembering the history of the fire and the people who took this tragedy and made real change to make a better world for themselves.
In 2004, Ruth Sergel, a filmmaker in New York, organized people to write the names and ages of the victims of the fire outside their former homes. Each year since then, the memorial has grown. The chalk is temporary, but in many ways it is more powerful than the traditional memorials we put up – it connects us to the victims by pointing out where our lives cross paths with theirs. More information about the project is available on the streetpictures.org site, where you can find out how to participate in next year's event. And in two years, the the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition will mark the 100th anniversary of the fire.
(Thanks to Amber for the tip on this action, and Kevin for his skills with sidewalk chalk.)
