Over the past generation, the field of African-American labor history has come into its own. The following is a brief introduction to some of the more recent literature highlighting black workplace activism and trade unionism, the relationship between black workers and the labor movement, and the convergence of civil rights and labor struggles in the realms of employment.
Arnesen is a history professor specializing in labor and black history who works closely with the Teamsters Archive project.
Anyone familiar with the labor movement today knows that organized labor is a heterogeneous group. Many different races, men and women, citizens and undocumented workers all make up the ranks of the unions affiliated with Change to Win and the AFL-CIO. There is no question that the American labor force is characterized by unprecedented diversity and, not surprisingly, organized labor is as well. In recent years, the labor movement has come to embrace and, to an unprecedented degree, champion racial and gender equality, often putting it at the forefront of movements for equality and civil rights in the United States. And that connection—labor and civil rights—has deep historical roots.
The contributions of black members to the success of the Teamsters Union are numerous, varied and as old as the union itself. Black team drivers attended the first Teamster Convention in 1903 and were active in all aspects of the union—including leadership, from the beginning. That commitment remains strong today.
