Labor Day Notes and September Plans

Dear Colleagues,

The first Labor Day holiday in the United States was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City. Things started with a sparsely attended, chaotic parade, but by afternoon some 25,000 union members and their families had gathered at Wendel’s Elm Park at 92nd Street and Ninth Avenue (now Columbus Avenue) for speeches and a picnic.

There were intense developments in America life and politics that year. 1882 saw the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act, a law to restrict immigration to the United States by banning Chinese laborers for ten years. Wild West outlaw Jesse James was shot in the back of the head and killed in his home in St. Joseph, Missouri by fellow outlaw Robert Ford.

In our region, too: In 1882, British forces occupied Egypt. The chief goal was to secure the strategically important Suez Canal, but occupation marked the start of the expanding British presence in the Middle East.

1882 was a year of politics and music. Stravinsky, Schnabel, and Stokowoski were all born in 1882. All three ended up in the United States. Ukrainian composer Kyrylo Stetsenko was born that year. Stetsenko wrote a choral arrangement of the Ukrainian national anthem without approval of Russian censors. The composer was punished with exile; the publisher was sentenced to death.

America was swelling with culture.

In 1882, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers became the first Black choir to perform at the White House. Chester A. Arthur was president, having just assumed office after James Garfield’s assassination in 1881.

Native American music was being discovered. Yiddish theater, too. Between 1881 and 1925, some three million Jews immigrated from Eastern Europe to the United States.

In 1882, Ma Rainey — born Gertrude Pridgett in Russell County, Alabama — entered this world. She became known as the “Mother of the Blues.”

Ma Rainey wrote her own songs, mentored Bessie Smith, worked with Louis Armstrong, and produced nearly 100 records. Her tent shows were extremely popular. Separated by race at the outset, they virtually always turned into de-segregated affairs. Rainey’s full-throated, mesmerizing singing got everyone up and moving, all swaying together side by side. Here’s “Prove it on Me Blues.” Here’s “Mountain Jack Blues.”

In 1882, music in the Middle East was all about cultural revival.  Ottoman influence was prevalent. There were beginnings of fusion in our region. In Egypt, Khedive Ismail was introducing European opera to Cairo. Instruments combined. I’ve just discovered this.

MBN September

We’re racing to the end of the fiscal year. Thanks to Deirdre, Anne, Billy, and Annie we’ve paid out severance to former employees. Thanks to Raji, Anne, and our plucky finance team we expect to have our audit complete this month. Ryan, Margaret, and Annette from finance deserve a special shout out.

We’re always determined to cooperate with USAGM and work closely with allies in Congress and the Administration to build the best version of MBN for 2026. To this end:

• On Wednesday at 2 pm, Scott will offer us a security briefing. As you know, Scott has a military and U.S. Secret Service background. We always want to be vigilant. If you’ve not yet done so, please complete the online cyber security courses. It’s important.
• I’m delighted our board will be with us for a meeting this Thursday. You’ll have a chance to meet with chair Ryan Crocker and MBN board members over lunch at 12 noon. We’ll meet in the cafe off the large newsroom. We have a devoted board and I’m grateful for their support and counsel.
• This Friday, I’ll convene our senior leadership team for a day-long offsite. We’ll dive deeper and refine further matters of vision and values, mission and metrics, editorial strategy and organizational alignment. I’ll be reporting promptly back to you and our board.
• On September 11, we’ll hold the next in our series of small offsite staff discussions. Let’s keep working together on content, company morale and cohesion. These sessions of 8-10 take place in Old Town Alexandria. Tom Melia from our board joins to help lead conversations.
• On September 16, Swedish Ambassador Urban Ahlin has invited members of the MBN young professionals program to the embassy for lunch. Urban’s a friend with Middle East experience that includes hostage negotiations with Iran. I’ve asked Ringo — MBN’s resident Swedish expert — for a pre-brief with our group. I’m delighted that Lesia will now join Alina, Aya, and me in building out the MBN young professionals program for the remainder of the calendar year.
• I’m grateful to Amira Maaty from our board. She’s inviting an MBN group to the National Endowment for Democracy. Amira is NED’s senior director for the Middle East and North Africa. She has a relevant media background. Leila, Matt, and I spoke with Amira on Friday regarding possibilities for on-the-ground cooperation with her grantees.

Finally, your labor. I hope you’re able to rest up at least a little this weekend. Congratulations on the launch of our Friday newsletter. It’s the first in a suite we’re developing. And it’s impressive. Encourage people to check it out and subscribe here.

We need to do as much as we can to showcase your talent and the important work you do for audiences across the Middle East and North Africa on behalf of the American taxpayer.

It’s hard to beat what you accomplish, with so little and under such exceptionally challenging circumstances. Our means may be modest, but we’ll do our best to give you a bit of a boost. Early this week, we’ll have news on evaluations, salary adjustments, performance awards, and continuing education opportunities.

With respect, Jeff