Teen Vogue labour writer Kelly speaking at online Brock event
Freelancer plans to discuss work, youth and labour movement
Journalist Kim Kelly of Teen Vogue magazine will speak at a Brock University online event March 4.
Kelly, whose acclaimed labour column “No Class” for the magazine has led to an upcoming book titled “Fight Like Hell,” will discuss youth, work and the future of the labour movement for a 7 p.m. discussion hosted by Brock’s department of labour studies and the Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies.
Simon Black, assistant professor in the department of labour studies, said Kelly is “one of the most dynamic labour journalists working today” and her work with Teen Vogue is seen by more than 10 million readers every month, most between the ages of 16 and 24.
“Kim writes about unions, labour history and workers’ rights in a really informed, compelling but also accessible way,” he said.
A freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Kelly has also written for Esquire, The New Republic and The Washington Post.
But it’s her labour writing for Teen Vogue that has garnered the most attention. Some of her current work has focused on a union-organizing drive at an Amazon distribution centre in Alabama, which Black calls “one of the most important labour struggles in years.”
He said Kelly’s work is imperative in making complex labour issues relatable to younger readers.
“Unions, labour history, workers’ rights and labour studies are not prioritized in high school education,” he said.
Her talk will be especially important for young workers who, in a POST-COVID-19 workplace, face challenges “no generation has faced since perhaps the Great Depression.”
Those interested in registering for the free online talk, visit www.eventbrite.ca.