Celebrating Labor Day

ALBANY, Ga. – When you originally think of Labor Day you think of a day off to grill and relax where we can forget it’s original purpose.

Labor Day was created in 1882 as thousands of union workers met in union square before it was a national holiday.

Workers gathered to protest for fair wages, end child labor, and have a day in the park with their family.

12 years later President Grover Cleveland would make the date official as Labor Day was born.

After talking with the people of Albany, Georgia I learned that it’s history can easily be forgotten.

“Well, I’m not really fully educated by Labor Day. I just feel like the Labor Day I just, like, is just a normal day, because I feel like a lot of people really don’t really educate us from all my high school, even elementary stuff. And, even in college, they don’t really, really educate us about labor day. They just call it a day off and people just go grill sometimes, or just try to spend time with each other and then go about like a normal life,” said Kibren Moore, Albany State University, student.

Before Labor Day people worked long days with no vacation or health care while children as young as 10 would have hard jobs.

Now Labor Day can be a celebration of the working people as the backbone of America are the people…

The people who clock in and out everyday.

And… work to support their families and our country run fluidly.

“I think it’s good to point out how good it is for people to be able to work and make a living. How good we have it in America. That aspect I do like. But, what I don’t like is that, the misconception of, like you said, most people, when they hear Labor Day, they think of the military. But, the everyday civilian out here who’s working just like the people in the military, they’re working. We have to make a living. You gotta make money. You got to feed yourself, got clothes, you know, on our back, food on the table. So, I do like the aspect of it. I think that it just needs to be touched on more about what it is, what it really is for Labor Day,” said Derrick Dixon, Albany, resident.

So, who are we celebrating when we talk about Labor Day?

You!!!

Everyone who is working every week.

Providing for yourself and others.

As without everyone doing their part in labor America would not be where it is today.

Gabe Hutton reporting.

Copyright 2024 CBS 44 South Georgia. All rights reserved.