Debra E. Bernhardt Labor Journalism Prize

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Debra E. Bernhardt (photograph by Jane Latour, 1995)

The New York Labor History Association’s Bernhardt Prize awards $1,000 to an article exemplifying great writing for a general audience and furthering the understanding of working people’s history. The prize and the forum honor the vision of the late Debra E. Bernhardt, who worked in so many different realms to share the hidden histories of working people.

GUIDELINES – We welcome articles that put current issues like work, housing, organizing, health, or education in a historical context AND also articles about historical events. The work must be published in print or online between August 31, 2023 and August 31, 2024. The prize is given to insightful work that contributes to the understanding of labor history; shows creativity; demonstrates excellence in writing; can reach a broad audience; and adheres to the highest journalistic standards of accuracy. Previous winners are listed below.

DETAILS – Only one article per entry; only one entry per person; publications and subject matter should target the United States and Canada; neither books nor plays are eligible.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY – Entries must be received by Friday, September 6, 2024.

TO ENTER – For articles that meet the above criteria, email info@laborarts.org with the subject line “2024 Bernhardt Contest entry” and the following information in the body of the email: First Name, Last Name, “Title of Article,” Publication Name, publication place, publication date, URL for article. (If no URL is available attach a PDF of the entry.)

SPONSORS — The New York Labor History Association and NYU’s Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives sponsor this award in order to inspire more great writing for a general audience about the history of work, workers, and their organizations. The award is co-sponsored by LaborArts; Metro New York Labor Communications Council; and the NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO. The 2024 contest committee is: Irwin Yellowitz, NYLHA; Rachel Bernstein, NYLHA and LaborArts; Shannon O’Neil, Tamiment, NYU; Kate Whalen, NYC CLC; Michael Koncewicz, Institute for Public Knowledge, NYU; and Molly Crabapple, journalist.

FORUM — The prize will be awarded at the Bernhardt Labor Journalism Forum on Thursday, October 17 at NYU’s Tamiment Library @ 6pm.
The prize and the forum honor the vision of the late Debra E. Bernhardt.  As head of the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, she reached out to an astonishing number of people and organizations to document undocumented stories and unrecognized contributions. She worked closely with NYLHA on the shared commitment to making links between past and present. Debra Bernhardt and Rachel Bernstein’s Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives – A Pictorial History of Working People in New York City, features many of the materials Bernhardt brought to the Wagner Labor Archives.

Previous winners:

2023    Alex Press for “Hollywood Is on Strike Against High-Tech Exploitation,” Jacobin, July 21, 2023

The November 8 forum focused on labor and artificial intelligence with Jane Chung(Justice Speaks), Christopher Kyle (Writers Guild) and Susan DeCarava (News Guild). Sonia Bernhardt Bloom spoke about Bernhardt. Watch video of the event here .

2022    Molly Crabapple for “How the Taxi Workers Won,” The Nation and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, Dec. 13 2021.

The October 2022 forum focused on new forms of organizing and featured Tom Robbins (moderator), Joselyn Chuquillanqui (Starbucks worker organizer), Claire Chang (REI worker organizer), Mat Cusick(former Amazon Union organizer); Alexander Bloom spoke about Bernhardt. Recording available here.

2021     Martha Pskowski for “Saving Lives and Going Hungry: NYC Ambulance Workers Demand Higher Pay,” The Nation, April 6, 2021.

The October 2021 virtual forum focused on newsroom organizing and the larger labor movement and featured Nastaran Mohit (NewsGuild) and Edward Ongweso Jr.(VICE); Alexander Bloom spoke about Bernhardt. Recording available here.

2020      Josh Eidelson,  “How the American Worker Got Fleeced,” with data analysis and graphics by Christopher Cannon, Bloomberg Businessweek, July 2, 2020.

             David Unger,  “Which Side Are We On: Can Labor Support #BlackLivesMatter and Police Unions?” New Labor Forum, July 6, 2020.

The 2020 Forum featured labor journalist and author Steven Greenhouse and Culture Workers Education Center founder Natasha Bunten. You can view a video of the event here.

2019     Jaeah Lee for her article “The Real Cost of Working in the House of Mouse,” Topic Magazine (online), September 2018.

2018    Toni Gilpin for her article “A Louisville Union Built Its Strength as Blacks, Whites Took on International Harvester,” in Louisville Weekly, August 30, 2017.

2017    Garret Keizer for his article “Labor’s Schoolhouse – Lessons from the Paterson Silk Strike of 1913,” in Harper’s Magazine, July 2017.

2016    Chloe Kent, for her article “The Women of New York’s Bravest” in Enchantress magazine, May 2016.

2015    David Kameras and Emily Harris for their May 2014 article in the United Mine Workers Journal:  “From Tragedy to Triumph – 100 Years Later, Workers Benefit from Ludlow’s Legacy.”