Charles Patrick Kernaghan

Passionate. Disciplined. Determined. Deeply committed to making our world a more equal and better place for all. I knew Charlie in the very early days when he was making wonderful photographs in NYC. A profound soul. So grateful to have shared a little time with him then. So amazed at the great work he has done with his life.
So deeply sorry for his loss. My sympathies to his loved ones. He will be missed.

I just read the sad news of Charlie's death in today's NY Times. He was truly one of my heroes. Although I lost touch with him, I knew him when I worked at ACTWU, and he was the director of the National Labor Committee. Those were exciting organizing days! He was filled with passion, determination and endless energy to do his part to make the world a better place in which to live. He also had a great sense of humor, and he was a gifted storyteller-- someone who not only listed statistics when he spoke, but who instilled empathy in us for the people who suffered in the exploitative apparel industry. His work around the world led to several historic changes in the apparel industry. His legacy will live on!

So sad to hear that! He has influenced enormously my work and thinking. He pioneered research on labour standards, on the ground and from below. Unlike many academics, he chose to be there in factories, talk to people, gather evidence, document conditions and challenge management! He did not rely on what corporate stooges said, nor tried to enrich himself through corporate sponsored grants and accolades. To this day, no one else has come any close to doing the quality and depth of research that he did. In particular, he shed plenty of light on the gendered nature of exploitation in factories and the complicity of the US government. Thank you!! I will remain a humble student of your work.

i'm so sorry to read about Charlie's death. He was such an inspiration. I worked with him for years at ACTWU-