Honoring The Black Women Of The Labor Movement

They might not get as much praise and recognition, but Black women have served as the driving force and the foundation of many of the most transformative and important movements. 

It’s a cycle that still persists in the present day, as Black women are among the first and the fiercest when it’s time to show up to make their voices heard, effect change and dive in to explore and discuss crucial social issues.

We put the world’s issues on our shoulders, and even though the flowers we deserve could never be enough, that doesn’t stop us from continuing on in the great fight.

In celebration of International Workers Day, we wanted to highlight some of the most powerful Black women behind the Labor Movement.

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1. Sylvia Woods

Based in Chicago, Sylvia Woods was a union organizer and community activist who was integral in organizing the Laundry Workers Union. Her work as an activist continued when she established the Bendix Local 330 of the United Auto Workers, where she was ultimately elected as the organization’s financial secretary-treasurer.

Woods was a fierce advocate for the working class, and through her activism shared the belief that all races needed to work together in an effort to effect true change.