Tales from the Reuther Library

Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman: A Memoir of Wobbly Organizer Matilda Rabinowitz Robbins (Part 2)
In the second of a two-episode series, artist Robbin Légère Henderson discusses the life of her grandmother, Matilda Rabinowitz Robbins, a Socialist, IWW organizer, feminist, writer, mother, and social worker. Henderson shares stories from Robbins’ autobiography, Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman: A Memoir from the Early Twentieth Century, explaining how the optimism of a 13-year-old immigrant from the Ukraine was soon undone by the realities of working in garment sweatshops on the East Coast, leading to Matilda Robbins’ brief but influential role as labor organizer for the International Workers of the World from 1912 to 1917. Related Resources Exhibit Announcement: “Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman” Blog: Love Letters Book: Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman: A Memoir from the Early Twentieth Century robbinhenderson.com Related Collections Matilda Robbins Papers Industrial Workers of the World Records Ben Légère Papers John Beffel Papers Episode Credits Producers: Dan Golodner and Troy Eller English Interviewer: Dan Golodner Interviewees: Robbin Légère Henderson Sound: Troy Eller English With support from the Reuther Podcast Collective: Bart Bealmear, Elizabeth Clemens, Meghan Courtney, Troy Eller English, Dan Golodner, and Paul Neirink