The 2025 Black History Month theme, “African Americans and Labor,” highlights the transformative role of Black labor throughout US history. From the forced agricultural labor of enslaved Africans later to work in mining, manufacturing, domestic service, small businesses, skilled trades, and professional roles, African Americans have continually shaped the nation’s economy and culture. This work has often taken place in the face of oppressive structures and opposition. Nevertheless, even as they faced discrimination, the push for economic justice was constant. Black professionals and laborers alike fought for fair wages, better working conditions, and labor rights.
One of the most significant milestones in Black labor history was the establishment of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids in 1925 by A. Philip Randolph. This was the first Black-led labor union to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor, marking a key victory in the fight for workers' rights. Years later, the civil rights movement would build on the connection between labor and social justice, with figures like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advocating for economic justice as part of the broader struggle for racial equality. King’s Poor People’s Campaign in 1967 called for better wages, economic opportunities, and fair labor practices, emphasizing that the fight for Black liberation could not be separated from labor rights. In fact, at the time of his assassination, King was in Memphis supporting the strike of black sanitation workers.
It was not only black men who advocated for workers' rights. Black women too have been at the forefront of labor movements, promoting for economic justice while challenging both racial and gender discrimination. Rosina Corrothers Tucker helped establish the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. Nannie Helen Burroughs, a suffragist, began a labor union for Black domestic workers in 1921 as she integrated labor reform and voting rights. Following in her footsteps, Dora Lee Jones helped found the Domestic Workers Union in Harlem in 1934 and later Dorothy Bolden founded the National Domestic Workers Union in 1968. Maida Springer Kemp was the first African American woman to advocate for workers’ rights internationally beginning in 1945 and continuing throughout her life.
There are countless other African American leaders whose efforts have reshaped industries, influenced national policies, and empowered generations of Black workers. Honoring this history not only acknowledges past contributions but also serves as an inspiration for current and future generations to continue the pursuit of economic justice and equity for all. To learn more about African Americans and Labor please check out the book display on the main floor of the library.