October 8, 2016 is the 100th anniversary of the strike at Standard Oil’s Bayonne, N.J., refineries. In the course of the ten-day strike, 4 people were killed and 86 wounded. The free press demonstrated collusion between the corporation and the city authorities in what John Reed described as a police riot. Yet, not a word of this is mentioned in the Rockefeller biographies.
While there were many moments of somber reflection following the first Memorial Day parade in two years, there was also joy in once again being able to host the community.