Emma Tenayuca (1916–1999) embraced economic justice as a young woman, reading Marx and Tolstoy in high school. She turned ideology into action by becoming a leader of the Communist Party in Texas. As a spokesperson for thousands of striking pecan shellers in 1938, she helped to secure a minimum wage for them. She earned the title La Pasionaria de Texas for her passionate defense of workers. This video is featured in the "Labor Leaders" section of the American Enterprise exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. (The video does not have an audio track). Teachers, parents, educators! Check out our resources to use these videos in the classroom here: https://historyexplorer.si.edu/resource/labor-leaders-video-series Section link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise-exhibition/videos/labor-leaders Exhibition link: americanhistory.si.edu/american-enterprise
