BGSU 1910: FIRST YEAR SEMINAR – FALL 2019
MEET THE DOCUMENT:
Farm Labor Organizing Committee 1st Annual Convention Letter, July 13, 1979.
OBSERVE ITS PARTS:
The letter was written by FLOC President Baldemar Velasquez on July 13, 1979, and addressed from the organization’s office in Toledo, Ohio. The audience can be clearly seen from the opening statement, “Dear Friends and Members.”
TRY TO MAKE SENSE OF IT:
The letter focuses on drawing member support for the first FLOC convention on August 4, 1979, in Holgate, Ohio. The main concern for this convention was the mobilization and strategy of the organization in their strike against Campbell’s Soup and Libby’s for unfair labor practices. It is critical to consider that the United Farm Workers (UFW) was also vocal about similar labor injustices at the time. Velasquez explained that obstacles were mounting against the group and hoped to inspire members to be in attendance and take action. Readers are aware of his intent through his rousing and descriptive language and the direct phrase, “We ask for your presence on August 4th in Holgate, Ohio.”
USE IT AS HISTORICAL EVIDENCE:
I could see the methods and language FLOC leadership used to call members to action to create social change. Aside from reaching for the convention, many issues at the time focused on Campbell’s & Libby’s strike. It would be beneficial to find more documents about these strikes from the archives to understand the historical context better. However, I learned more about the convention through other materials in the same file! I could see the itinerary for the conference, the prayer guide passed out to attendees for an affiliated church service and much more. It helped me better understand the process of planning a protest.