This is a repost of one I have posted twice before. Worth reposting.
Who is she, one might ask. I would have, too, before I watched a Polish Film called “Strike.”
She is the woman responsible for the Solidarity movement and the eventual overthrow of Communism in Poland. Her dedication and hard work took decades, and many sacrifices. She was originally a welder at a shipyard and couldn’t read. Her son taught her how to read so she could take the crane operators test – more money and better shifts. She was afraid of heights and threw up in her bag the first time up. She was a strong, fascinating woman. Her name was Anna Walentynowicz. She was the women’s labor rep at the Lenin Shipyard and a trouble-maker. She went to jail numerous times for her labor and anti-communist views and activities.
The Solidarity Movement started when the Shipyard fired her 4 months before her retirement. She was one of 7 leaders of the movement, one of whom was a male named Lech Kaczynski, later President of Poland. He wanted her to head the movement which started with her firing. She felt a male would be better, and she also felt he was the better public speaker, at least as portrayed in the movie. She died at the age of 80 in 2010 in a plane crash which also claimed Lech and his wife. She was a fascinating, hard-working woman who made a huge difference in the Labor Movement and also in her country. So today, I honor her.
You can find more of her photographs here: https://dellahuff.smugmug.com/Big-Sur
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I couldn't find it streaming anywhere but the DVD is readily available and I just ordered mine. Can't wait.
I think you will like it. It is Polish. I learned a lot about the solidarity movement from that film.
Reminds me when the pilgrims revised the mayflower compact to allow private ownership of property and improvements at Plymouth Colony thereby opting for capitalism instead of socialism. It was a hard lesson from the first couple winters when there was no incentive and many perished. It's a hard lesson the current socialist democrats ignore.
I will seek out to learn more of Anna's life...to imagine all she lived thru, all the hard work & various huge challenges..then to have it go up in smoke via a plane crash. I've often been traveling ..& wondered of the sensation of the plane falling 40 thousand feet..its been 20 yrs now & more and more Im inclined not to go up again...thank you Kate🎄