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Vol. 72/No. 41      October 20, 2008

 
25, 50 and 75 years ago
 
October 21, 1983
SAN FRANCISCO—On September 21 a rally was held here at the Bayview Opera House to protest the closing of Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School. Those who gathered also demanded that in addition to Black students, white children be bused to desegregate the city’s schools. The meeting, which was attended by about 100 people, followed the release from jail of four activists who had been arrested for blocking school busses that take Black children to white schools.

Drew was closed following the settlement of a NAACP lawsuit against the San Francisco Unified School District. The suit was aimed at forcing the school board to desegregate the city’s educational system.  
 
October 20, 1958
A standing army of unemployed has appeared once more as a prominent part of the American economic scene. According to Martin R. Gainsborough, chief economist for the National Industrial Conference board, recovery from the recession has almost reached its pre-recession peak. However he said, “The percentage of the labor force unemployed is uncomfortably close to the postwar peak and a hard core of continuing unemployment is to be found in the durable goods industry.”

In the previous recessions of 1949 and 1954 the subsequent pick-up absorbed virtually all the laid-off workers. Today, however, the most optimistic economists are unable to see full employment even if the present rate of recovery continues.  
 
October 21, 1933
As our comrades and friends all over the country [are] in the sub drive the list of subs is shooting up. Add them up; that makes 49 new subs since the opening of the drive. And there are still a little less than four weeks to go.

We forgot to say in our previous announcements that wherever there is a tie on November 15 when the drive closes the prize for that place will be given to both the tying contestants. This makes it an even greater inducement. The prizes are: for first place—the three volumes of the History of the Russian Revolution by comrade Trotsky: for second place—two volumes: for third place—one volume. That is a prize worth shooting for.  
 
 
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