Since 1976, February has been designated by U.S. presidents as Black History Month. It is a time for us to honor the achievements of Black people and celebrate the many historical and cultural impacts they have made on communities and institutions throughout this country and around the world.
The theme for 2023’s Black History Month is Resistance. This is a theme that also threads evenly throughout the history of the labor movement, and there are numerous examples of civil rights resistance that are tied directly into labor issues.
As we celebrate the month, we have plenty of examples of historical contributions to the labor movement from Black people that represent the spirit of resistance. One such example of this is A. Philip Randolph, who is perhaps one of the most well-known spokespeople throughout history when it comes to the interests of working Black people. One of his most important victories was the successful certification of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for Pullman porters in 1935 after a 10-year campaign, a victory he himself called the first victory for Black workers over a great industrial corporation. Randolph’s call for civil disobedience helped end segregation of the armed forces and resonated through the highest levels of government at the time, even having an impact on the 1948 Presidential election by forcing Harry Truman to end military discrimination for fear of not being re-elected. These are just two examples in a long and storied career with strong themes of resistance.
Unfortunately, we’re not past the need for resistance. Even in recent years, we’ve witnessed voter suppression actions in parts of the country, designed to limit the ability of Black people to vote for candidates who will continue to promote fairness and equality and end discrimination. More recently, Florida has moved to severely limit the state’s public schools from teaching critical race theory. At a time when we’re celebrating Black history, there are many people in our own country who are moving to keep more people from learning about it and understanding the history of discrimination and that we still have a long way to go to achieve equality in this country. People who promote equality do not fear an educated population. These efforts require resistance even now as they are unfolding.
The labor movement is built on resistance. When employers push us, we push back and we do it with the strength of numbers on our side. Like labor, this year’s Black History Month theme recognizes the historical AND current need for that same type of resistance against those in power who would seek to discriminate unfairly against Black people. In many ways, it’s needed now more than ever, because our country cannot afford to lose the ground we’ve gained in civil rights.
We need to continue to stand up for what’s right and follow in the footsteps of great people like A. Philip Randolph and so many others who have shown us the way so that one day we might achieve their dreams of equality for everyone.
In solidarity,
Mary E. Sullivan, President
