Leadership Moment - Clara Lemlich

What are you willing to sacrifice for a cause you believe in? There are millions of people around the world who give their time and energy. Some are even willing to risk their lives. This is the story of one of those people.

A century before the Me Too Movement, there was another movement that made life for women safer and better in countless ways. At the turn of the 20th century, women were the primary employees in the garment industry. They worked long hours in unsafe conditions. They were constantly subjected to sexual harassment by male supervisors and owners. Wages were low and an employee could lose her job at any moment for any reason.

A central figure in this labor movement was Clara Lemlich. At the age of 23, Clara led multiple strikes to unionize the garment industry. This required incredible bravery. At the time, factory owners played hard ball. One ownership group identified Clara as an agitator. Three men, including a bare knuckle boxer, were deployed to send a message...