Posted on Aug 29, 2025
Happy Labor Day from NLEN!
The first Monday in September is Labor Day, and North Lawndale Employment Network and our social impact business salute the workers that make our communities thrive.
NLEN, Sweet Beginnings, and the beelove® cafe are closed Monday, September 1st, 2025 for the Labor Day holiday.
We will return to our regular hours of operation on Tuesday, September 2nd.
Celebrate Local Labor History!
Labor Day is known as the unofficial last day of summer, and a popular day for barbeques, picnics, and relaxation. We also recommend checking out these local attractions to learn more about local labor history in Chicago:
Haymarket Memorial – 175 N. Desplaines Street
This memorial commemorates workers killed during the Haymarket bombing in 1886, and the workers unfairly sentenced to death in the aftermath of the riot. These workers were targeted for speaking out about unsafe and unfair working conditions in Chicago factories. You can read more about the memorial at this link.
Local Tip: This memorial is not far from Haymarket Brewery, which serves up their signature Harold’s ‘83 Honey Ale, made with our own beelove® honey in the recipe!
Pullman National Historic Park – 610 E. 111th Street
Chicago’s first national park is located in the Pullman neighborhood, and preserves the history of Chicago’s rail history and groundbreaking organizing efforts by Black workers in the rail industry. The historic park includes preserved private homes, and an extensive overview of the history of the Pullman sleeping car industry.
The National A. Phillip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum is a tribute to Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters co-founder and labor organizer A. Phillip Randolph, and includes history of the BSCP and local Black labor organizing history across a variety of industries. The Museum pre-dated the National Park designation, and was a catalyst for federal national park recognition of the Pullman site.
Forest Home Cemetery – 863 DesPlaines Avenue
Located in Forest Park, Forest Home Cemetery is home to Radical Row, where many Haymarket Martyrs, and other labor and social justice advocates are buried. You can find a tribute to the Haymarket Martyrs, and the final resting places of local labor activists, including Lucy Gonzalez Parsons, Albert Parsons, Frank Lumpkin, alongside other prominent figures. You can find a teaching guide about many of the people buried in Radical Row from the Illinois Labor History Society at this link.