Hello there!

I’m Alfonso Neal, an award-winning journalist, photographer educator, and current host/producer of the indiVISIBLE Podcast, a part of the Indivisible Greenfield oral history project, and a Professor of Latinx Studies and History at Holyoke Community College.

For over 15 years, I‘ve worked with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), training new organizers, union stewards, and members, supporting workers in starting new unions and winning contracts, along with the Painters District Council 58, Local 148 of the Operating Engineers, and several other union locals across the country.

I was fortunate to be a leader in the Fight for $15 campaign from its epicenter in St. Louis, winning national recognition of fast food workers’ right to a living wage.

My passion is balancing the nuance of words with visual imagery to create compelling and compassionate stories about life’s struggles and victories.

Former editors, colleagues, and casual readers describe my work as “making readers feel like they’re part of the action,” giving a “unique voice and perspective about the issues impacting working people.”

For assignment inquiries or to purchase prints, email: me[at]al-neal. com is

CV is available upon request.

Publications:

People’s World, Morning Star (U.K.), The Workers’ Weekly Guardian (Aus), Start It Up Magazine, America’s Workforce Radio, Grandstand Central, Getty Images, The Arabian Post, St. Louis/Illinois Labor Tribune, Buzzfeed News, Associated Press, International Policy Digest, Politics Means Politics News Blog, The Start-up Magazine, The Mighty and the Raging Literary Magazine, Union City Radio, Press Associates Union News Service, Indivisible Movement.

Awards:

Invited Talks:

Promoting Peace: Conflict Resolution and Verbal De-escalation. Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Feb. 16, 2023.

The Role of Organized Labor in the Anti-Vietnam War Movement, 1960-1972. History Dept. Honors College at UMass Lowell. Dec. 1, 2022.

The development of U.S. Immigration Law and Policy and new Americans' challenges. History Dept. Honors College at UMass Lowell. Dec. 8, 2022.

Exhibits:

No Somos Maquinas/We Are Not Machines. Smith College Botanical Garden. Northampton, Ma. Oct.-Dec. 2022

Struggle and Hope: Documenting Modern America. The Lava Center. Greenfield, Ma. May 2022

The UK Farm Belt: Looking out from lockdown. The Lava Center, Greenfield, Ma. Aug. 2022.

Black Lives Matter Archive.’ (A collection of 120mm photographs documenting protest art in St. Louis, Mo), Grey Cross Studios, New Orleans, La.

Conference Presentations:

“Hands Up For $15: Uniting the Fight for 15 and racial justice movements to empower low wage workers.” Labor Research and Action Network Conference. Georgetown Law Center, Washington D.C. 2015.

“Civic Unionism: Building working class power at work and within communities.” International Labor Communications Association Conference, St. Louis, Mo. 2017

“Introduction to Community Organizing.” Missouri Community Action Network Conference, Harris-Stowe State University, St. Louis, Mo. 2017

“Resistance in the [Building] Trades” Labor Notes Conference, Chicago, Illinois, 2018.

“Building a Militant and Engaged Membership Base.” Sheet Metal Workers Local 36, St. Louis, Mo. 2019

Theatre Credits:

Waiting for Lefty | Harry Fatt | Means of Production Theatre Co. | Director: Frank Pagliano | Sept/Oct 2022, Goshen, Ma.

Guilty (Staged Reading) | Mateo (Co-Star) | Silverthorn Theater Co. | Director: Keith Langsdale | 2022, Greenfield, Ma.

Bridges (Staged Reading) | Rafael (Lead) | The LAVA Center/ T.I. | Director: Jan Maher | 2022, Greenfield, Ma.

Books:

Neal, A. (2020) “First to start the fight”: Communism, the ‘Daily Worker, and Baseball.” Faith in the Masses. New York, International Publishers, pp. 121-151.

Neal, A. (2022) “Anita Torrez.” Encyclopedia of the American Left, 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press.

Neal, A. (2022) “England’s Farm Belt: Views of 21st century Sussex. San Francisco, Ca. Blurb Publishing.

Memberships/Organizations:

Society of Professional Journalists, the Oral Historians Association, the National Sports Media Association, The Ernest Brooks Foundation, the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, The Labor and Working-Class History Association, and The Labor and Employment Relations Association.