Moe Foner

Morris "Moe" Foner (1916 – January 10, 2002) was a labor leader active in Union 1199, the New York Health and Human Service Union.[1]

Biography

Early years

Foner was born and raised in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. His parents were Polish Jews who had four sons, all of whom became active in leftist politics. His brothers Philip and Jack were professional historians (Jack was also the father of historian Eric Foner). Henry Foner led the Furriers' Union.

Union career

Foner started out as a leader in Department Store Local 1250, then moved on to Union 1199, where he became the director of education and culture. While there, he founded Bread and Roses, a cultural program for union members funded by the NEA.

Foner wrote the foreword to Women of Hope: African Americans Who Made A Difference, a children's book by Joyce Hansen. The book featured images from a Bread and Roses poster series which aimed to "honor courageous, creative women of color whose persistence and vision gave society hopefulness and inspiration."[2][3]

Death and legacy

Foner died on January 10, 2002. His daughter Nancy Foner is a sociologist.

Footnotes

  1. ^ Steven Greenhouse, "Moe Foner, Labor Official and Movement's Unofficial Cultural Impresario, Dies at 86," New York Times, January 11, 2002, pg. C13.
  2. ^ Larsen, Anita (1999-02-07). "Here is an array of books for children that focus on African-American history". The Des Moines Register. p. 127. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  3. ^ Horak, Lisa (1999). "Book Review - Women of Hope: African-Americans Who Made a Difference by Joyce Hansen". BookPage. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  • Notable New Yorkers - Moe Foner Biography, photographs, and the audio and transcript of Moe Foner's oral history from the Notable New Yorkers collection of the Oral History Research Office at Columbia University.