By Alex Paramo

Alex Paramo

As most of us know, Labor Day is a Federal Holiday but what does it stand for or represent? If you were to go by ads on TV, print and online, you might think it is a holiday celebrating consumerism. For example neither Lowes Home Improvement stores nor Home Depot have any mention of their workers, let alone a thank you to them! It is a holiday to celebrate the work-force, the laborers who form the backbone of our society and make our machines that keep us on the go.

Blacksmith Shop – 1940’s

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” The first national celebration of Labor Day was held in 1909 in New York City. The holiday itself was the impetus of labor unions scattered around the country. 

Celebrating Workers at the Rail Yards Market

At the Rail Yards Market (RYM) we are all laborers, workers for a common cause. The RYM is a space for working folks to display their arts, crafts, talents, efforts, energy and intellectual property to contribute to a larger societal benefit. Some of the talented laborers we are showcasing this week are:

At the Pop-Up Arts Zone we will be featuring,Alana Swartz who specializes in Wood sculpture & Relief. The Live Arts Zone will feature Serigraphy Master Rein Whitt-Pritchette. The Sustainability Zone will feature Larry ‘Pax’ Garcia. Mr. Garcia is the owner of Tortuga Gallery and he will present the makings and merits of Up-cycled Art. The Children’s Zone is featuring students from the Southwest University of Visual Arts (SUVA)

The Main and Community Stages bring you Albuquerque’s best in Music, Movement, Poetry and Dancing with (please click here for complete listing):

• Morning Movement for all Ages with Julia Grueskin
• Acro Yoga
• Goddess of Arno (Band)
• Seth Hoffman (Musician)

The Right Livelihood

Why do we work? For a paycheck? For a greater sense of self? For self-identification? Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh posited, “To practice Right Livelihood (samyag ajiva), you have to find a way to earn your living without transgressing your ideals of love and compassion.” At the RYM we celebrate all of our community of workers, laborers of all kinds engaged in creating a better local environment. No matter how big or small the task, all jobs are equally important when the goal is to create a vibrant, inclusive and equitable society. See You Sunday!

Alex Paramo is an Author and Co-Founder of Community Publishing. Community Publishing brings local artists of all mediums together in creative collaborations for distribution as multimedia eBooks while promoting literacy in our communities.

We are proud to be a community partner and digital marketer at the Rail Yards Market.#JoinOurCommunity at http://communitypublishing.org