Black History Is Teamster History

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.

The Teamsters Union has traditionally been ahead of other unions in terms of the treatment of minority members, calling for “no color line” in the union as early as 1906 and began actively seeking to organize black men and women.

Black members made up half of the Executive Board at the first New Orleans local in 1903 and black women helped establish one of the first “color free” contracts in the country in 1917 as Teamsters negotiated equal pay for black and white laundry women. That foundation of equality led black members to become strong advocates for civil rights and other social justice causes through the years.

This does not mean it has been an easy road for minorities in the union. Black members made up a smaller segment of the union and often faced many of the same prejudices from individual fellow members on the job as they did in society at large. But they had the courage to stand fast and demand respect and dignity for themselves and their families. We are all richer for it.

Black members are an integral part of the legacy Teamsters have created for working families over the last century. Whether serving as the first black milkman, a soldier defending freedom, a Rosie the Riveter on the home front in World War II, or traveling to Washington, D.C to march with Dr. King, the experiences and achievements of black Teamsters have made a difference and deserve to be recognized.