The Triangle Fire: Cultural Reflections and Policy Legacy
In conjunction with the exhibition Art/Memory/Place
6:00–6:45 pm: Grey Art Gallery, 100 Washington Square East
Tour of Art, Memory, Place: Commemorating the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, with Lucy Oakley, co-curator of the exhibition
7:00–8:15 pm: NYU-Gallatin, Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 1 Washington Place (at Broadway)
Panel Discussion
This spring marks the centennial of the infamous Triangle shirtwaist factory fire, which took the lives of 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women, and galvanized a movement for social justice. For members of the public service community, the legacy of the Triangle fire is especially significant. The tragedy influenced a generation of policymakers and impacted labor organizing, safety regulations, immigration policy, and culture in general. This panel discussion will address the fire’s impact on Robert F. Wagner Sr.’s policy making as well as contemporary labor issues. Speakers are Bill Henning, Vice President, Communications Workers of America, Local 1180; and Laura Kenny, Labor Liaison, OSHA, US Department of Labor. Moderated by David Elcott, Henry and Marilyn Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership, Wagner School of Public Service, NYU.