News
Jan Roosevelt Katten, A Remembrance
Jan Roosevelt Katten was a doyenne of dining, décor and design. She brought people together in celebration and support for causes she cared about, including the Living New Deal. She was one of our first friends and earliest advisors. Jan’s… read more
Kevin Baker Writes About How Biden Can Govern with a Divided Congress
In a New York Times opinion piece, author Kevin Baker writes about the challenges facing the Biden presidency, and looks to the New Deal and other historical precedents to examine how he can govern despite a divided Congress. Read the… read more
Frances Perkins Center Acquires Perkins’ Homestead
Some 95 million Americans collect Social Security and unemployment insurance benefits, yet few today know about Frances Perkins, the woman responsible for the social safety net so many depend on. Perkins (1880-1965) was the first woman ever appointed to a… read more
Until Covid
Until Covid-19 made its murderous debut in the U.S., the withering of the nation’s public health care system had gone largely unnoticed. The response to the epidemic has been so ineffectual as to call into question the U.S.’s status as… read more
In Pursuit of a New WPA
On October 22, 2020, the 2019 Randy Martin Spirit Awardee Arlene Goldbard shared her thoughts on the to the powerful organizing opportunity we have to build a new WPA. Twice before in times of crisis, the U.S. created public service employment… read more
Evan Kalish, LND Researcher at Large Mentioned in the Washington Post about the Cantonsville Post Office Mural
Evan Kalish, Living New Deal Researcher at Large mentioned in a Washington Post story on the covering of a Cantonsville MD Post Office mural depicting slavery. The mural was painted by New Deal era artist Avery Johnson. Read the story… read more
Come Home, America
Homelessness in the U.S. has become so normalized as to be accepted as a fact of life. The National Alliance to End Homelessness reports that more than a half million people are without shelter on any given night. Public officials… read more
A Near-Forgotten Black World’s Fair, Remembered
The official program of the Diamond Jubilee of Negro Progress, which opened at the Chicago Coliseum on July 4, 1940, proudly states, “This is the first real Negro World’s Fair in all history…The Exposition will promote racial understanding and good… read more