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Articles by Sherry Linkon
The Future of Cities: Recalibrating Expectations: Lessons From Youngstown, Ohio
by Sherry Linkon and John Russo 02/24/2023 In September 1977, the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company announced the first major shutdown in the American steel industry. It was closing its largest mill, the Campbell Works, displacing over 10,000 workers. Other shutdowns followed, putting another 40,000 people out of work over the next decade. The Youngstown, Ohio, population had peaked at 170,000 in 1930, but between the shutdowns and 2020, its population fell to just over 60,000 residents.
What ‘The Bear’ tells us about the contradictions of work
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in Working-Class Perspectives, a public forum from the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University. –JS Hulu’s The Bear takes viewers inside a hectic, crowded and struggling Chicago sandwich shop that Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen Wright) inherited from his brother, Michael, who has committed suicide.
The Bear and the Contradictions of Work
by Sherry Linkon and John Russo 09/02/2022 Hulu’s series The Bear, oddly labeled as a comedy, takes viewers inside a hectic, crowded, struggling Chicago sandwich shop that Carmy Berzatto (Jeremy Allen Wright) inherited from his brother, Michael, who committed suicide. The store is a chaotic mess and deep in debt, but Michael’s best friend Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) and most of the long-time staffers want to keep his “system” in place.
Pandemic Cuts: Deepening the Higher Ed Divide
by Sherry Linkon 01/05/2022 American mythology promises upward mobility, and college can provide an important first step up the class ladder. With the rise of the “knowledge economy” and the decline of industrial jobs and unions, some insisted that education is the answer to economic displacement. If you can’t earn a stable, living wage as a steelworker, go to college and become a nurse or a computer programmer. And if you didn’t make that choice, it’s your own fault that you’re struggling.
Bucket Toilets and Casseroles: Belonging, Mutual Aid, and Working-Class Survival
This past year of the pandemic has, for many, been one of struggle and isolation. So films about single older working-class women dealing with economic and personal challenges might not seem inspiring at the moment. But the insights they provide into how belonging helps people navigate hardship make them worth a look. Chloe Zhao’s Golden Globe-winning film Nomadland, follows Fern, a 60-something working-class woman who, as she says, likes to work and needs the money.
Beyond Economic Populism
Predictably, politicos and commentators spent much of 2020 debating why working-class voters supported Trump and how the Democrats could win them back. Although we’ve occasionally contributed to these conversations, we’re also getting tired of them. They tend to envision “the working class” as if it were one group with a well-defined set of interests, and worse, they treat working-class people as a marketing problem.
Deindustrialization as a Template for COVID-19
As we wrote in Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown, Youngstown’s story is America’s story, and that city offers a useful case study for anyone trying to imagine American life after the pandemic. No doubt, coronavirus is a natural disaster that is more contagious, widespread, and deadly than the economic disaster of deindustrialization.
You Can’t Extricate the Politics of Culture From Economics
New York Times columnist David Brooks has proven himself both interested in and repeatedly confused by the working class.
Middle Class Racism
What do you picture when someone refers to the “Trump’s base”? If you’ve watched television coverage of his rallies or read any of the dozens of articles in which reporters and commentators try to explain Trump’s appeal, then you probably imagine white people wearing “MAGA” hats and t-shirts chanting “Lock her up” or “send her back” in an arena in a mid-size Midwestern or Southern city.
Why the Dems need to talk about economics and racism
In their response to President Trump’s racist tweets telling them to “go back to where they came from,” the four female congressional representatives dubbed “The Squad” tried to shift the debate. Instead of battling over whether the tweets and the subsequent “Send Them Back” chant count as racist, and instead of yet another round of media amazement at the president’s bad behavior, the Squad called for renewed attention to policies aimed at addressing inequality.
Why the Dems Need to Talk About Economics AND Racism
In their response to President Trump's racist tweets telling them to “go back to where they came from,” the four female congressional representatives dubbed “The Squad” tried to shift the debate. Instead of battling over whether the tweets and the subsequent “Send Them Back” chant count as racist, and instead of yet another round of media amazement at the president’s bad behavior, the Squad called for renewed attention to policies aimed at addressing inequality.
Why the Dems Need to Talk About Economics AND Racism
Supporters of the Black Lives Matter and Fight for $15 movements march down the streets of Memphis. In their response to President Trump’s racist tweets telling them to “go back to where they came from,” the four female congressional representatives dubbed “The Squad” tried to shift the debate.
Why Youngstown Can't Afford to Close its Newspaper
Economic struggles have long defined Youngstown, Ohio, which has been shedding jobs and population for decades. Now those woes have claimed the city's newspaper.
Why Politicos Love "Game of Thrones"
I can't help wondering how many politicos—and long-suffering political spouses, too—are secretly hooked on HBO's sexy, hugely entertaining Game of Thrones, whose very lively second season kicks off Sunday. Not because they can identify, mind you. It's just hard not to imagine them envying their fantasy equivalents in George R.R. Martin's brutally uninhibited realm. In the Seven Kingdoms, contrition is as unknown as push-polling or George Will.
A Liberal's Guide to Middle Earth
Caution: Spoilers In 2009, National Review ranked Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy No. 11 on a list of the best "conservative movies" of the past 25 years. The magazine's reasoning was simple -- after September 11, the adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novels were the perfect Manichean fable for conservatives as they cheered on and spurred America's march to war against an amorphous Muslim enemy in Iraq.
A Rust Belt City Wrestles With Fear, Immigration, and its Future
A "poster child" for deindustrialization, Youngstown, Ohio, faces difficult economic decisions.
Blaming Workers Again
Working-class people often get blamed for their troubles. They should have planned better, been less demanding, or just been smarter. Those are just some of the judgments that surfaced again in the weeks after General Motors’ announcement late in November that it would close five plants in the U.S. and Canada, leaving thousands of workers without jobs. While some expressed concern for the soon-to-be displaced autoworkers, many were quick to point fingers.
To See the Real Costs of Deindustrialization, Look to Youngstown
Once an industrial powerhouse, the Youngstown area has endured massive job losses since the 1970s.
Everybody Knows About Alabama
We saw Nina Simone: Four Women, a play with music, on the same day Simone was named as an inductee to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. That alone gave the play extra meaning. But the experience was made even richer by an unusual convergence of culture and politics: The day before, Doug Jones won a special election in Alabama to become that state’s first Democratic Senator in several decades.
Ex Libris: A Conversation with Frederick Wiseman
For the last 50 years, Frederick Wiseman has been a singular documentary filmmaker. His unique style—no voiceover narration, no interviews, no text on screen—has made him a pioneer of the genre. But the mark of a Wiseman film is not limited to its style. His work frequently centers on institutions, and occasionally a town or neighborhood.
Youngstown, Economic Nationalism, and the Half-Life of Deindustrialization
In his 60 Minutes interview, Steve Bannon touted his form of economic nationalism and suggested that even Democrats like Senator Sherrod Brown and Representative Tim Ryan, both of Ohio, understood his economic vision, even if they didn’t agree with him. It was fitting that he name-checked Brown and Ryan, as both come from the northeast area of the state, where the history of deindustrialization began 40 years ago.
'Detroit' and Charlottesville
My husband and I recently saw Kathryn Bigelow’s film Detroit. Set amid the 1967 uprising 50 years ago this summer, the film focuses primarily on the brutal torture and murder of three black men by police officers that took place that week at the Algiers Motel. Because it so powerfully and intimately dramatizes the racial hatred and injustice that has defined far too much of this country’s history, the film offers a thought-provoking counterpoint to what happened in Charlottesville.
Why Is There a Budget Crisis in Connecticut?
Connecticut is bleeding red, and no end is in sight. Like Illinois and Kansas, the state has a massive budget shortfall, with a projected deficit of $5 billion over the next two years. Unlike Illinois and Kansas, though, Connecticut has yet to close its deficit. And quite unlike Illinois and Kansas, Connecticut’s problem isn’t just the handiwork of tax-slashing Republicans.
He’s Back! Trump Returns to Youngstown
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump visited the Youngstown area three times. On Tuesday, President Trump returned. Officially sponsored by his 2020 campaign, the rally at Youngstown’s Covelli Center provided him an opportunity to be buoyed by the cheers of 7,000 fans. While many of those attending Tuesday’s rally came from outside of the city and the region, Trump has significant support here, rooted in the politics of resentment.
Charlie and the MBTA
This article originally appared in the Summer 2017 issue of The American Prospect. Subscribe here.
Factory Towns to Trump: Don’t Defend Yourself by Invoking Us!
To the injuries inflicted on America’s embattled factory towns, insults have long been added as well. Not surprisingly, Donald Trump has now become insulter-in-chief.
Mayors See Right Through the American Health Care Act
It’s difficult to underestimate the relief provided by the Affordable Care Act to American cities and their mayors. Mayors, after all, hear about local health issues from everyone—from first responders and uninsured constituents to doctors and hospital executives.
Don't Blame Youngstown - BillMoyers.com
For months now, we’ve been predicting that the white working class would take the fall if Donald Trump won the election. Reactions over the past week have proven us right, as commercial and social media exploded with commentaries and analyses trying to make sense of working-class votes. Yet exit polls show Hillary Clinton won 52 percent of voters earning less than $50,000 a year, while Trump got the largest share, at 49 percent, of voters with incomes above that threshold.
Going Local in the Fight Against Inequality
This article appears in the Fall 2016 issue of The American Prospect magazine. Subscribe here. It has been five years since the Occupy movement focused attention on the gap in income between the top 1 percent and other Americans. During Barack Obama’s first term, Democrats made federal taxes more progressive and expanded health insurance for low- and middle-income people.
We Must Confront the Prejudice on Both Sides of the 2016 Election
When Mitt Romney dismissed the 47 percent of voters who, he predicted, would support Barack Obama “no matter what” as “victims” who depend on government assistance, liberal critics called foul. The quote, caught on video by a bartender at a Florida fundraiser in September 2012, reinforced Romney’s image as an elitist whose interests were firmly aligned with the wealthy.
No passes for stereotyping of any kind: Hillary might have stooped to Trump’s level
When Mitt Romney dismissed the 47 percent of voters who, he predicted, would support Barack Obama “no matter what” as “victims” who depend on government assistance, liberal critics called foul. The quote, caught on video by a bartender at a Florida fundraiser in September 2012, reinforced Romney’s image as an elitist whose interests were firmly aligned with the wealthy.
The Half-Life of Deindustrialization: Why Donald Trump Is Just A Symptom - BillMoyers.com
Every four years, the white working class gets a fresh round of attention from candidates and the media. At campaign stops in Rust Belt cities, candidates promise to fix the economy, while pundits yet again claim that white working-class voters are the key to election victory. The pattern is being repeated this year, but this time, both the news media and social media seem especially baffled by the attitudes and behavior of working-class voters.
Why Donald Trump is just a symptom of deindustrialization
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Trump Soho Hotel in New York on June 22, 2016 (AFP Photo/Kena Betancur) Every four years, the white working class gets a fresh round of attention from candidates and the media. At campaign stops in Rust Belt cities, candidates promise to fix the economy, while pundits yet again claim that white working-class voters are the key to election victory.
The half-life of deindustrialization: Why Donald Trump is just a symptom
Every four years, the white working class gets a fresh round of attention from candidates and the media. At campaign stops in Rust Belt cities, candidates promise to fix the economy, while pundits yet again claim that white working-class voters are the key to election victory. The pattern is being repeated this year, but this time, both the news media and social media seem especially baffled by the attitudes and behavior of working-class voters.
Social Media Exposes Devastating Effects of Louisiana Flood (Multimedia) | Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
It’s been labeled “the worst U.S. disaster since Hurricane Sandy,” yet many are accusing the mainstream media of providing too little coverage of the catastrophic flooding across Louisiana. The flooding, which began earlier this week, has left at least 13 people dead and tens of thousands without homes.
Chris Hedges and Robert Scheer Assess the Merits of a Life of Virtue in a World for Careerists | Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines
In this week’s episode of “Scheer Intelligence” on KCRW, Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer speaks with Truthdig columnist Chris Hedges about the rewards of Hedges’ unorthodox career as a minister and journalist covering the disintegration of societies on multiple continents, his working habits, and the consequences of elite neglect of the forces that turn civilized populations barbarian.
Welcome to the East Side: How Clinton and Kaine can make Youngstown a call for unity
On Monday, the Clinton campaign announced it would kick off its post-convention run to Election Day with a bus tour through the Rust Belt of Pennsylvania and Ohio, including a stop today in Youngstown, Ohio. Most commentators will read the tour as an effort to reach out to white working-class voters in de-industrialized areas that have suffered as a result of trade policy. They will focus on how Clinton finesses her past support for trade deals and her newfound rejection of the TPP.
Plagiarism at its worst: What we can learn from Melania Trump’s copycat RNC speech
In all the uproar about Melania Trump’s plagiarism of Michelle Obama’s 2008 Democratic convention speech — a gaffe worthy of note, of course — we should not ignore the ideals both women touted: work hard, be honest and reliable, respect others, make a better life for the next generation. These are core American values, rooted in the American dream and ideas about equality, opportunity and the Protestant work ethic. They are also core working-class values.
Read These Books to Really Understand White Working-Class Voters
It’s an election year, so politicos, pundits and reporters are once again trying to figure out how the white working class will vote. Many assume that they support Donald Trump, though Nate Silver argues that Trump’s backers have relatively high incomes. The white working class also isn’t quite ready for Hillary Clinton, in part because of her Wall Street ties but also because they associate her with her husband’s policies, like NAFTA, welfare reform and mandatory sentencing for drug offenses.
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