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8 Black Women Labor Leaders You Should Know
8 Black Women Labor Leaders You Should Know
By: Office of Public Affairs • January 17, 2024
En español
Black women have been on the forefront of the fight for labor rights for decades, helping improve conditions for all of America’s workers. Historically excluded from many good jobs, they’ve performed much of the essential but difficult work underpinning our economy without the protections afforded to other workers. For example, the Social Security Act of 1935 initially excluded domestic workers — the majority of whom were Black women.
While there are countless women who have organized and advocated for better working conditions, here are a few you should know.
Dorothy Bolden
President Carter presents a Maids Day Proclamation to Dorothy Bolden in 1970. Source: Georgia State University.
Dorothy Bolden began helping her mother with domestic work at age 9. She was proud of her work but also knew how grueling it could be, and wanted domestic workers to be seen and respected as part of the labor force. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her next-door neighbor, encouraged her to take action. In 1968 she founded the National Domestic Workers Union, helping organize these workers on a scale never seen before in the U.S. The union taught workers how to bargain for higher wages, vacation time and more. She also required that all members register to vote, helping give workers’ both a stronger voice on the job and in Georgia policy.
{snip the rest}
By: Office of Public Affairs • January 17, 2024
En español
Black women have been on the forefront of the fight for labor rights for decades, helping improve conditions for all of America’s workers. Historically excluded from many good jobs, they’ve performed much of the essential but difficult work underpinning our economy without the protections afforded to other workers. For example, the Social Security Act of 1935 initially excluded domestic workers — the majority of whom were Black women.
While there are countless women who have organized and advocated for better working conditions, here are a few you should know.
Dorothy Bolden
President Carter presents a Maids Day Proclamation to Dorothy Bolden in 1970. Source: Georgia State University.
Dorothy Bolden began helping her mother with domestic work at age 9. She was proud of her work but also knew how grueling it could be, and wanted domestic workers to be seen and respected as part of the labor force. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., her next-door neighbor, encouraged her to take action. In 1968 she founded the National Domestic Workers Union, helping organize these workers on a scale never seen before in the U.S. The union taught workers how to bargain for higher wages, vacation time and more. She also required that all members register to vote, helping give workers’ both a stronger voice on the job and in Georgia policy.
{snip the rest}