Not all that glitters is gold, and gold is not always without a downside. For all the amazing parts of California, it has quite a sordid history as well. Slavery has ranged from captured Native Americans and smuggled African Americans during the Gold Rush,to  caged Chinese prostitutes and modern victims of labor and sex trafficking. History deserves to be talked about if only so we can learn from it and do better, and at least to recognize those who were harmed. Come learn from Jean Pfaelzer, a regular NPR speaker and author of California Bound: The History of Slavery in California (forthcoming 2019), and Driven Out: the Forgotten War Against Chinese Americans. This event is a part of LaborFest, an annual festival celebrating the history and culture of working people through film, art, lectures, and exhibits all over the Bay Area from July 1-31, 2018. It commemorates the 84th anniversary of 1934’s “Bloody Thursday” when two workers were shot and killed in San Francisco for supporting the longshoremen and maritime workers strike. The incident brought about the San Francisco General Strike.