Every year on Labor Day, I find myself wondering: What actual labor are we honoring? This year, I finally went down a Google rabbit hole and understood the roots and intention of the holiday. Labor Day was created as a federal holiday in 1920 when activists sought to establish a day to pay tribute to workers. It was a moment of great growth and great social challenge in the U.S., and politicians recognized the need to appreciate those who were building our economy through their labor.
The scale of production and innovation has sped up exponentially since the 1920s, and the ways our world and technology have evolved exponentially since then have ultimately changed the nature of our entire society, and how we view and value labor. Today’s world is driven by technology and finance far beyond the industries that dominated in the 1920s. Our lives are now shaped by the exchange of money, clicks and “things.”
Artist Ben Sloat challenges us to reflect on this problematic shift through his “Be the Change Boston” 2024 tzedakah/justice-themed public art piece. Much of Ben’s past work has involved research to explore his Taiwanese roots, and this piece is one of his first major works to delve into his Jewish background and to consider the ways that Jewish tradition informs his sense of activism.
Ben’s larger-than-life tzedakah box entitled “Sparks of Hope in the Past” is covered in imagery that is a composite of significant historic Jewish sites across New York and Boston. Laser etched delicately into the wooden shingles, the piece features quotes that we must come close to read—words that push us to consider the ways in which our capitalist-driven society is one of the core issues that plagues us today, acting as an underlying issue that impacts all facets of our lives.
The quotes are from German Jewish philosopher Walter Benjamin’s 1921 essay “Zur Kritik der Gewalt” (“Toward the Critique of Violence”). While it’s known to be a difficult text, it remains popular today because of its relevance to contemporary issues. Benjamin died at 48 years old while trying to escape the Third Reich in 1940, and his words resonate eerily strongly today:
- “Progress is the myth of our time.”
- “Capitalism is a purely cultic religion, perhaps the most extreme that ever existed.”
- “The only way of knowing someone is loving them without hope.”
- “Technology consigns the outer image of things to a long farewell.”
- “Kitsch offer instantaneous emotional gratification without intellectual effort, without the requirement of distance, without sublimation.”
- “To be happy is to be able to become aware of oneself without fright.”
Ben’s artwork is rich with layers of research and tradition, including inspirations from James Baldwin, Maimonides and others. I encourage you to explore his project page for more insights. As I contemplate Ben’s work and its symbols and elements, I’m reminded that during holiday weekends—and always—it’s valuable to pause, reflect and step away from screens. This Labor Day, I hope you’ll take a moment to consider Ben’s message and think about how you can be an agent of change as we head into the new season.
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