In 2008, I showed Sophie the memorial to the 146 victims, most of whom were young immigrant women, of the Triangle Factory Fire. The wreath and flowers were placed there by people who had attended the annual event, on 3/25, which honors the victims.
Tomorrow is the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Factory fire in which 146 workers, mostly young immigrant women died. It was a pivotal event for Frances Perkins, who witnessed the event. Appointed the chief investigator for the commission that investigated the fire, Perkins spearheaded an effort that resulted in pioneering reforms and legislation to ensure safer working conditions. I wrote about the fire and Perkins’s work with the committee in my book, A Woman Unafraid: The Achievements of Frances Perkins. Join the nationwide bell ringing event at: http://rememberthetrianglefire.org/bells/
To learn more about the fire, go to: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/trianglefire/
On another note, there’s an interesting post about the importance of nonfiction literature by Vicki Cobb, “Truth is More Compelling Than Fiction” at: http://educationupdate.com/vickicobb/2011/03/truth-is-more-compelling-than-fiction.html