PRESS RELEASE

Oklahoma’s largest coalition of labor Unions and labor activists, the Central Oklahoma Labor Federation (COLF), today announced its plans for the first ever “Oklahoma Laborfest.”

“The purpose of this festival is to create greater awareness of Oklahoma’s working class culture and to build pride in the state’s rich labor history through music, the arts, and community,” said COLF President Tim O’Connor. “Our youth should know about Oklahoma labor heroes like Kate Barnard and Pete Hanraty. They should know our state motto ‘Labor Omnia Vincit’ which means ‘Labor Conquers All.’ We should appreciate Oklahoma’s history of fighting for workers’ rights since the beginning of statehood.”

O’Connor continued, “Unfortunately this history is not being taught to our children today and we run the risk of it being forgotten. With this festival we intend to promote labor literacy among the general public in order to preserve this history and strengthen labor solidarity in the state of Oklahoma.”

Oklahoma Laborfest will run August 26th – 28th and include activities for all ages in the Plaza District of Oklahoma City, located on NW 16th between Indiana and Blackwelder.

The festival will kick off with a labor poetry reading at Coffy’s Café at 7:00 p.m. on August 26th, a screening of the Oklahoma environmental documentary ‘Tar Creek’ at Convergence at 8:00 p.m. on August 27th, and multiple events on August 28th. Events planned for the 28th include a panel discussion, performance poetry, a live labor mural paint, an open circle musicians’ jam, performances by MoonSue, Dead Man’s Bluff, Green Corn Revival, Buffalo Fitz, and J.C. High Eagle, a children’s theatre and other kids’ activities, booths and vendors. The AFL-CIO Oklahoma Labor History Exhibit will also be on display.

Oklahoma Laborfest will culminate in a performance entitled ‘Oklahoma Speaks,’ 7:00 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre on the evening of Saturday, August 28th. This event will include dramatic readings of selected historical texts from Oklahoma’s labor and civil rights movement as well as musical performances of songs connected to these movements. Mary Catherine Reynolds, Louise Goldberg, and the Red Dirt Rangers will be the featured musical guests for this event. Readers will include Stewart Acuff, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Davis Joyce, and other friends of labor.

Tickets for the ‘Oklahoma Speaks’ performance can be reserved by calling the Central Oklahoma Labor Federation at (405) 634-4030. Tickets will become available Saturday morning at the Laborfest Headquarters Table in the Entry Hall of the Lyric Theatre. The tickets are free to the public. All reserved tickets must be picked up before 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, including the schedule of events as it continues to develop, please visit www.oklahomarevelator.com/laborfest.