Theresa Malkiel | |
|---|---|
 Malkiel c. 1910 | |
| Born | Theresa Serber May 1, 1874 Bar, Podolia Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | November 17, 1949 (aged 75) Yonkers, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Labor activist, author |
| Spouse | Leon Malkiel |
| Children | Henrietta |
Theresa Serber Malkiel (1 May 1874 – 17 November 1949) was an American labor activist, suffragist, and educator. She was the first woman to rise from factory work to leadership in the Socialist party. Her 1910 novel, The Diary of a Shirtwaist Striker, is credited with helping to reform New York state labor laws. As head of the Woman's National Committee of the Socialist Party of America (SPA), she established an annual National Woman's Day which was the precursor to International Women's Day. In 1911, while on a speaking tour of the American South, she called attention to the problem of white supremacism within the party. She spent her later years promoting adult education for women workers.