Woman of Steel: Bettye Ridgley

on August 16, 2021 Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, In the Community, Stories, Women of Steel and Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , with 0 comments
Color photo of Black woman in a blue jacket and a baseball cap. Bettye Ridgley at an SEIU protest in the 1990s.

By Clair Volkening Getting her start Bettye Ridgley began her journey at Sparrows Point in 1978 as a mechanical helper in the hot strip mill. “We were what you called ‘go-fors’. You know, we’d go for the tools, go for the coffee.” Four or five months later, Bettye was laid off from the mechanical unit. […]

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Accidents at The Point: 1990 Explosion

on August 9, 2021 Bethlehem Steel, Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, Contemporary Work Issues, In the Community, Industrial Heritage, Stories and Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , with 0 comments
Black and white photo of blast furnace L, a triangular shaped blast furnace. Blast furnace “L”, or “Big L”, in 1978 after it was finished and ready for work.

By Clair Volkening The Explosion In a previous post, I recounted the story of an explosion at Sparrows Point in 1891 which killed four steelworkers. That explosion was one of countless accidents over the mill’s history that injured or killed steelworkers. Now, we move one-hundred years into the future, to 1990, to tell the story […]

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Food for Thought

on May 18, 2022 Exhibits, In the Community with 0 comments

“A child cannot learn if they’re hungry.” -Shelia Alston Baltimore City Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services employees prepare and distribute more than 88,000 meals to students every day. Even when school buildings closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, these essential workers continued to feed city students and their families. Food For Thought is a collaboration […]

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From Point to Point

on March 26, 2019 Bethlehem Steel, Contemporary Work Issues, Exhibits, In the Community, Industrial Heritage with 0 comments

  From Point to Point From Point to Point highlights the BMI’s efforts to document the 125-year history of the steelmaking giant and preserve stories of the Sparrows Point community. The BMI recognizes the need to tell the story of Baltimore steelworkers and help carry their legacy forward. The Bethlehem Steel Legacy Project, in partnership […]

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