Labor Jawn: In Story & Song

Labor Jawn: In Story & Song

Author: Gabe Christy and Young Sam James December 24, 2025 Duration: 1:55:28
On November 18, 2022, Labor Jawn hosted their first live show In Story and Song at the Philadelphia Folksong Society. Join the hosts of the Labor Jawn podcast in celebrating the labor movement through song and story. Relive the struggles and victories of the working class with historian Gabe Christy as musician Young Sam James leads you and a few special guests in the anthems and ballads that defined an entire movement. Guests are Pie-Eyed Preachers, Bevan Dayn, and Molly Hebert-Wilson. Intro...

There’s a particular rhythm to a city’s past, one often drowned out by the usual stories of founders and famous figures. Labor Jawn tunes into a different frequency, following the beat of everyday life and collective struggle that truly built Philadelphia. Hosted by historian Gabe Christy and musician Young Sam James, this podcast digs into the rich, gritty, and frequently overlooked working-class history of the city and the wider world it connects to. Each episode feels like a conversation you’d overhear in a neighborhood taproom, blending rigorous historical research with the cultural echoes found in music and art. You’ll hear about the factory floors and union halls, the dockyards and domestic spaces where ordinary people organized, created, and pushed for change. The dynamic between Christy’s expertise and James’s cultural insight makes the past feel immediate and surprisingly relevant, revealing how yesterday’s fights for dignity and a fair wage still resonate today. It’s a deep, engaging listen for anyone curious about the real foundations of a city, understanding that history is never just about dates, but about the sound of countless voices rising together. Find more from Labor Jawn wherever you get your podcasts.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Labor Jawn
Podcast Episodes
St. Mary Nurses Strike of 2020 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:05
800 nurses in Bucks County, PA strike during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally aired: February 28, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
The Rise of Industrialized Capitalism in Philadelphia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:52
In 1790s Philadelphia, things began to change rapidly. One man, John Nicholson, sought to take advantage of these changes and build a modern industrialized factory on the banks of the Schuylkill River. But he kept runnin…
Something Radical Happened Here! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:06
In a special live recording at The Children's Folkshul and Adult Community, Gabe discusses Philadelphia's radical Jewish labor history and Sam performs his rendition of "Arbeter Froyen," a Yiddish poem sung in English. O…
Fort Wilson Riot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:32
In 1779, as inflation drove prices of bread and meat sky high, the citizens of Philadelphia took matters into their own hands and rebelled against the wealthy merchant class. Originally aired: September 6, 2023. Support…
1923 NJ Trolley Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:12
As the postwar inflation threatened the wages of trolley operators, they struck, triggering not just a fight over wages, but a fight over mass transit all together. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Reading Railroad Massacre [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:19
Pennsylvania Militia open fire on civilians and striking railroad workers. Originally aired: January 27, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
John Henry Stump [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:00
Reading, Pennsylvania's first and only socialist mayor. Originally aired: February 14, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Cordwainers Strike [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:48
The 1805 Cordwainers Strike in Philadelphia was one of the earliest labor actions in American history. Originally aired: December 13, 2021. Support the show www.laborjawn.com
Cooperative Movement [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:33
A brief history of the cooperative movement in 19th century Philadelphia. Originally aired: February 22, 2022. Support the show www.laborjawn.com