Red November, Black November
Nov. 19th, 2012 12:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marjaerwinRed November, black November, bleak November, black or red,
Hallowed month of labor’s martyrs, labor’s heroes, labor’s dead.
Labor’s wrath and hope and sorrow, red the promise, black the threat.
Who are we not to remember? Who are we to dare forget?
Red and black the colors blended, red and black the pledge we made:
Black until the fight is ended, red until the debt is paid!
August Spies and Albert Parsons, with Joe Hill and all the rest.
Who are we not to remember? Who are we to dare forget?
Red the flag and black the mask, red our hearts that beat as one,
Spur us to this better task, as the rays of the fall sun.
Red November, black November, red the promise, black the threat.
Who are we not to remember? Who are we to dare forget?
- Ralph Chaplin
George Engel, Adolf Fischer, Albert Parsons, and August Spies were murdered by the American state on November 11th, 1887. Joe Hill was murdered by the American state on November 19th, 1915. Frank Little was murdered by the Anaconda Copper Company on August 1st, 1917.
