This week, the AFRO honors the enduring hard work of African Americans across the nation, with a specific focus on Black leaders of the labor movement and challenges faced today by workers of color. Keep this edition handy to learn about the men and women who have fought for workers and their rights to equal pay, safe work conditions and more.
By Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead
Former Georgia Representative Julian Bond and Black Panther leader Eldridge Cleaver once said that when Rosa Parks chose to stay seated on that bus in Montgomery, Ala., somewhere in the universe, a gear in the machinery shifted, and everything changed.
A gear-shifting moment.
In the history of this country, in the ongoing fight against racial oppression, against a white supremacist narrative, and against the racial apartheid laws that were passed and upheld, there have always been gear-shifting moments when individual people have taken a stand. It happened in 1850, when Harriet Araminta Tubman, a year after her selfemancipation, chose to go back to Baltimore, Maryland, to help lead her niece and her niece’s two children to freedom. A gear shifted. It happened in 1770, when Crispus Attucks, a Black and Indigenous sailor and whaler, chose to get involved with the growing kerfuffle in Boston. In 1864, when the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops marched from Camp William Penn through the streets of Philadelphia on their way to fight, a gear shifted.
When Mamie Till told them in 1955 to leave her son’s casket open so that the world could see what those white men had done to her son, a gear in the machinery of the universe shifted. It happened again in 1966 with Kwame Ture
Courtesy photo
Dr. Karsonya “Kaye” Wise Whitehead is the 30th person and the eighth woman to serve as the national president of ASALH. She is a professor of Communication and African and African American Studies at Loyola University Maryland and the host of the award-winning radio show “Today with Dr. Kaye” on WEAA, 88.9 FM. She is the author of the recently released “my mother’s tomorrow: dispatches from Baltimore’s Black Butterfly” and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She lives in Baltimore with her family.
and Mukasa Dada’s declaration of Black Power at the conclusion of the “March Against Fear.” And in 2014, after police officers killed unarmed Eric Garner in New York and unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Black people came together under the banner and
hashtag of Black Lives Matter to march, protest, and demand change.
Gears shift when we choose to fight, when we choose to stand up, and when we refuse to back down. The moral arc of the universe does not bend on its own toward justice, it bends because we push it and because we are willing to continue to do it until change does happen.
In 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson—the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the son of formerly enslaved parents, a former sharecropper and miner, and the second Black person to receive a Ph.D. in History from Harvard University—sent out a press release announcing the first Negro History Week, a gear shifted. He chose February because the Black community was already celebrating the historic achievements on the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln (2/12) and Frederick Douglass (2/14). Dr. Woodson did not wait for the celebration of our history to be proclaimed, he proclaimed it. He did not wait for someone to give him permission to celebrate what we have contributed to this country, he celebrated it.
Dr. Woodson understood that Black parents had been teaching their children our history since we arrived in this country. Our stories and achievements had been carried by the wind and buried in the soil. It had been whispered as bedtime stories, spoken from the pulpits on Sunday mornings, and woven throughout our songs and poems of resistance and survival. America did not have to
tell us who we were to this country; we told them.
America did not have to tell us that we built this country, our fingerprints are etched into the stone. America does not have to proclaim Black History Month, we proclaim it. We live in the legacy of Dr. Woodson, and as we have done for 98 years, we will celebrate who we are and all that we have accomplished. We stand at the intersection of the past and the future; what we do at this moment will determine how the next gear shifts.
The 2025 Black History Month theme is African Americans and Labor, which focuses on the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people and the transformational work that we have done throughout the U.S., Africa, and the Diaspora.
We are celebrating our visible labor—from the work we did back then to build the White House to the work we do right now to hold the White House accountable, from repairing the roads to teaching in our schools, from stocking shelves to packing and unloading trucks; from working in the federal government to our ongoing labor in the state and local offices—and, our invisible labor— from raising and teaching our children to caring for our aging family members, from finding ways to practice revolutionary self-care to finding ways to hope beyond hope in a country that frequently targets and terrorizes Black people. We
bear witness to what it means to work hard every day and to get sick and tired of working so hard.
As the president of ASALH, one of the many legacy keepers of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, I am excited to proclaim and uplift the start of Black History Month 2025. I believe that ASALH is a lighthouse that you do not notice until you need it. When boats are caught in a storm or fog, they look for the lighthouse to help guide them safely back to the shore.
We have been standing as a lighthouse proudly proclaiming the importance of Black History and helping people to understand that it is only through studying the quilted narrative of our historical journey that one can clearly see the silences, blind spots, hypocrisies, and distortions of American history.
We do not celebrate because we are given permission, we celebrate because we are the permission givers. We do not wait for Black History Month to be proclaimed, we proclaim it. We do not wait to be seen, we see ourselves. We do not have to be told the story of America because we are writing it, we are telling it, we are owning it, and we are pointing the way to it.
We invite you to join us as we once again celebrate and center the incredible contributions that Black people have made to this beautiful and imperfect nation.
This commentary was originally published by Word in Black.
By Claire Savage
The Associated Press
Women make up roughly half of U.S. labor union membership, but representation in top level union leadership positions has lagged, even in female-dominated industries and particularly for women of color.
But Black and Latina women are starting to gain ground, land-
ing top positions at some of the biggest unions in the U.S. That has translated into wins at the bargaining table that focus more attention on family-friendly benefits like parental leave and health care coverage, as well as protections against sexual harassment.
Often when people think about unions, “they think of a White guy in a hard hat. But in
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fact, studies show that about twothirds of working people who are covered by a union contract are women and/or people of color,” said Georgetown University labor historian Lane Windham.
Indeed, hospitality union UNITE HERE’s membership is majority women and people of color. And last month, more than 12,000 of them across six states went on strike to push for wage increases, fair workloads and more affordable health care under the leadership of Gwen Mills, who in June became the first woman to be elected union president in its 130-year history.
Data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that Black and Latina women experience a particularly wide gender pay gap. They also face intersectional headwinds of both racism and sexism in their careers, making them even more attuned to inequities in the workplace and motivating them to increasingly step up the fight as union leaders.
Black and Latina women are driving labor union growth in the U.S. amid a decades-long decline in membership. In 2023, Black women’s union membership rate notched a slight bump from 10.3 percent to 10.5 percent, while Latinas went up from 8.5 percent to 8.8 percent. But that’s still more than White men and women as well as Asian women, whose membership experienced a decrease during the same time period.
Momentum for Black and Latina women rising into labor union leadership has picked up in the last five years. But the work began long before that by “our foremothers who laid this foundation and have been pushing and kicking those doors open for decades,” according to Liz Shuler, who in June 2022 became the first woman in history to lead the AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 national and international labor unions.
“The #MeToo movement, I think, has really emboldened women across the board, including in labor, to say, you know what? I’m not going to be sitting on the sidelines,” Shuler said. The pandemic also put a spotlight on essential workers such as nurses, service workers and care workers, who are predominantly women and minorities.
Today’s examples of diverse union leaders include Becky Pringle, a Black woman who
a journey-level carpenter and member of Carpenters Union Local 13.
Things might get better, she said, if more Black and Latina women held union leadership roles and were more aware of their memberships’ needs, including safety gear that fits women’s bodies, or parental leave, which Lujano does not have.
“I think we would get more respect out in the field,” she said.
Here’s a look at the impact women union leaders have had at the bargaining table:
Education
leads the National Education Association, the nation’s largest union; Bonnie Castillo, the first Latina to serve as executive director of National Nurses United; and April Verrett, who in May became the first Black woman to lead the Service Employees International Union, which says about 60 percent of its service worker members are people of color, and two-thirds are women.
“If we want to build power on those who are perceived to have the least amount of power, then we’ve got to create space for our people of those identities to be able to lead,” Verrett told The Associated Press.
But while female-dominated fields have made strides in union leadership diversity, “there is still a long way to go” for unions in male-dominated fields like building and manufacturing trades, said University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign labor historian Emily Twarog. Despite some headway through DEI and apprenticeship programs, “there hasn’t been that kind of culture shift.”
Men still have a higher union membership rate than women — 10.5 percent versus 9.5 percent respectively, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And workplace sexual harassment and biases still run rampant in many places, including for Chicago-based Lisa Lujano,
Teachers’ unions have in recent years begun to use their collective power to push for wraparound benefits to help their surrounding community in a method known as “bargaining for the common good,” which aims to go beyond wages and benefits at the bargaining table and tackle wider social issues. The Chicago Teachers Union, for example, included demands for affordable housing citywide during a strike in 2019 — in part organized by then-vice president Stacy Davis Gates, who is now CTU president.
Some teachers’ unions are also fighting for racial justice, including the United Teachers Los Angeles, which demanded that the school district stop subjugating students to random metal detector screenings and locker checks without cause, decrying the practice as disproportionately targeting Black and minority students.
“We need to address the inequities that are built into every single social system in this country that determine whether our students come to school ready to learn every day,” Pringle said. “It was our female leaders, particularly our leaders of color, who really leaned into that.”
Hospitality
Unionized hotel workers like Maria Mata have made strides toward fighting the rampant sexual harassment in their profession.
Mata, a Hispanic housekeeper and UNITE HERE union leader at the W San Francisco, helped lead a successful push at her hotel for workers to be equipped with panic buttons in 2018 to summon security help in an emergency, now implemented by several major hotel chains.
“We needed more protection,” especially during night
shifts spent cleaning entire floors alone, explained Mata, who has herself twice experienced sexual harassment on the job. “It’s very dangerous.”
It’s also vital for the women doing the work to also sit at the bargaining table, “because sometimes as women, we need something that the men don’t know,” said Mata, whose hotel is currently in bargaining for a new contract.
Flight attendants Keturah Johnson in 2022 became the first queer woman of color to serve as international vice president for flight attendant union AFA-CWA, which is led by Sara Nelson and represents over 50,000 flight attendants at 20 airlines.
People often think of a flight attendant as “a White woman with hair put up in a bun,” and Black flight attendants frequently face microaggressions from managers about their appearance, Johnson said. “It’s happened to me many times because of my natural hair.”
And for gender nonconforming flight attendants, being able to wear a uniform that reflects their gender identity is important, Johnson said. So she’s leading the fight to update uniform standards to be gender inclusive and permit natural hairstyles, which has resulted in several airlines making changes.
United Airlines, for instance, updated its uniform standards to include gender neutral options in 2021, and Alaska Airlines management adopted gender neutral uniform and appearance standards in 2022, according to AFA. Frontier allowed natural hairstyles for flight attendants in 2021, and this year implemented standardized pricing for all uniforms regardless of size or gender.
“We’re not just there to serve Diet Coke. And so it’s our job to make sure that flight attendants are represented and seen just as they are,” Johnson said. “The world is changed now.”
The Associated Press’ women in the workforce and state government coverage receives financial support from Pivotal Ventures. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
By Dr. Frances “Toni” Draper AFRO Publisher and CEO
In my recently released book, “Prayer and Pen: The Prayers and Legacy of Carl Murphy, Publisher of the AFROAmerican Newspapers 1922-1967,” you’ll find more than 100 prayers and commentaries on a variety of topics— including family, education, gratitude, freedom, faith, hope, love and labor— accompanied by photos from the AFRO’s extensive archives. Below are key points from the chapter titled “Labor.”
The AFRO’s role in documenting the Great Migration
For generations, the AFRO has chronicled the African-American labor experience, capturing defining moments in history with depth and integrity. Through its comprehensive weekly editions,the AFRO documented the Great Migration, serving as a guidepost for those seeking new opportunities in cities such as Chicago, New York and Baltimore. Between 1916 and 1930, more than 1 million African Americans left the agrarian South for the industrialized North in search of prosperity and equality.
In these bustling cities, migrants encountered a vastly different social climate from the Jim Crow South. Chicago’s growing Black neighborhoods, New York’s Harlem, and Baltimore’s expanding African-American communities became hubs of cultural renaissance and activism. Yet, they also faced immense challenges—crowded living conditions, employment struggles and the psychological burden of navigating racial barriers.
The Labor struggles of African Americans in Northern cities
Between 1916 and 1918 alone, approximately 400,000 African Americans moved north, drawn by labor shortages caused by World War I. Industries such as steel, automotive, locomotive, shipbuilding and meatpacking provided muchneeded jobs. But for many, the migration was not just about economic opportunity—it was about dignity, freedom and the
“While the AFRO reported on labor movements across the country, it also maintained a unionized workforce for more than 70 years. The mechanical, composing, press and mailroom departments were all part of organized labor, and at one time, the newspaper employed more than 100 union workers.”
chance to escape systemic oppression.
A pivotal moment in the Black labor movement came in 1925 with the formation of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), led by A. Philip Randolph. The Pullman Company, renowned for its luxurious train service, was the largest employer of African Americans at the time. However, the company offered little opportunity for advancement while demanding grueling hours and requiring porters to pay for their own uniforms, meals and sleeping quarters. Worse still, they often endured demeaning treatment. Randolph and his fellow porters fought tirelessly for fair wages and respect. For 12 years, they battled against entrenched racial prejudice within the labor movement. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) initially hesitated to support the BSCP, mirroring the discrimination of the era. Yet, the struggle of the porters became emblematic of the broader fight for African-American rights.
Carl Murphy, the AFRO’s publisher, highlighted how Jim Crow’s shadow stretched into the so-called “free North,” where segregation persisted in public transportation and other facets of life. The BSCP’s 1937 labor agreement was a landmark victory over discrimination and exploitation. Randolph, emerging as both a labor and civil rights leader, embodied the justice that the AFRO was committed to reporting. Through its extensive coverage, the AFRO ensured that the porters’ voices remained strong and their struggle widely known, reinforcing the connection between labor rights and civil rights.
The AFRO’s own labor history
While the AFRO reported on labor movements across the country, it also maintained a unionized workforce for more than 70 years. The mechanical, composing, press and mailroom departments were all part of organized labor, and at one time, the newspaper employed more than 100 union workers.
Though the AFRO no longer has an organized labor union, we remain deeply grateful for our dedicated team members who work tirelessly to produce informative, relevant and engaging content for our readers. In an era when credible journalism is more critical than ever, our technologically savvy workforce continues to evolve with the latest advancements.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our readers and advertisers for your unwavering support as we continue the fight for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Prayers on work and labor by Carl Murphy
As we reflect on the significance of labor, we turn to the
words of Carl Murphy, whose prayers remind us of the dignity and purpose of work:
Our Heavenly Father, we ask Thy special blessing on all those who work. Dignify their tasks, give them pride in the labor that they do, and make those who hire realize the importance of the humblest worker. Keep us kind and patient in this weekend of rest and recreation. Then start us once again— fresh and vigorous—to do Thy will and Thy work.
Dear Lord, when we work, give us a sense of joy. When we rest, give us a feeling of peace. When we come before Thee at the end of the day, grant us the satisfaction of achievement, the love of our home and friendships, and the knowledge that all we have is Thine—only loaned to us for a time.
Amen.
By National Education Association
Racial justice and economic justice are intrinsically intertwined. However, far too often in our nation’s history, those who benefit from the existing order have used race and class to divide us. These three Black leaders strengthened both the labor and civil rights movements by fighting discrimination in unions and building strong coalitions for the welfare of all.
Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)
Born during Reconstruction to parents who had been enslaved, Mary McLeod Bethune grew up walking five miles to a Presbyterian mission school where a teacher noticed her dedication and recommended her for a college scholarship—setting Bethune on a path to change her career and the world.
In 1904, with $1.50 and five young students, the now-legendary Mary McLeod Bethune started a school for Black girls in Florida that became today’s Bethune-Cookman University. Later, Bethune was elected as the first woman president of the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools (NATCS), later renamed the American Teachers Association (ATA), which would eventually merge with the National Education Association to become the union we know today.
After serving as the NATCS president, Bethune would be appointed director of African American Affairs by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and later founded the National Council of Negro Women. Throughout her life, Mary McLeod Bethune broke
through boundaries and used her platform to advocate for Black and women workers.
Bayard Rustin (1912-1987)
Bayard Rustin was born into a family of Quakers and activists in Pennsylvania. Growing up, his grandmother, Julia Rustin, was involved with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and his home was visited by Black leaders including W.E.B. Du Bois and Mary McLeod Bethune. He carried this upbringing with him, dedicating his life to the philosophy of nonviolence and the fight for human rights.
Rustin saw the interconnection between global struggles for racial, economic, and social justice. He played pivotal roles in the major movements of the second half of the 20th century, from co-founding the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), combatting colonialism in India, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, working for nuclear disarmament, leading the 1963 March on Washington, advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, organizing for worker empowerment, and demanding greater HIV/AIDS education. As a gay, Black man, Rustin was often pushed behind the scenes of these movements, his role in history too often forgotten.
As a member of the executive council of the AFL-CIO and a founder of the AFLCIO’s A. Philip Randolph Institute, Rustin fought against racism and discrimination
The work of Bayard Rustin is still revered today. Rustin was instrumental in progressing rights for Black Americans during his lifetime, which spanned from 1912 to 1987. He was an executive councilmember for the AFL-CIO and a founder of the AFL-CIO’s A. Philip Randolph Institute.
in the labor movement. His leadership in these organizations focused on building diverse coalitions for the benefit of all humankind.
Chris Smalls (1988- )
Chris Smalls is a leader shaping the direction of the labor movement today. Born in New Jersey in 1988, he felt alienated from union establishments of the day, with his mother often forgetting she was a part of a union herself. It wasn’t until he started organizing his coworkers at Amazon that he saw how unions could be a vital vehicle for winning workers’ rights. Smalls started working at Amazon, optimistic about his path for development. However, over his years as an employee, he experienced grueling work expectations and saw institutionalized racism stop him and others from career growth. The tipping point was Amazon’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was clear his employers prioritized profit over the lives and wellbeing of him and his colleagues.
In March 2020, Smalls and his colleague Derrick Palmer began leading actions for Amazon worker rights. In April 2021, they began to call themselves the Amazon Labor Union (ALU). Even at that time, most of the country thought that unionizing Amazon staff was an impossible task. On April 1, 2022, the ALU proved doubters wrong – the workforce at the Amazon Staten Island warehouse JFK8 voted to establish a union. While this is just the beginning for Smalls and the ALU, this success is part of a new wave of union activism, pulling modern organizing tactics into the long legacy of fighting for labor rights.
By Haleluya Hadero and Lisa Baumann
The Associated Press
Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Pennsylvania voted to unionize on Jan. 27, becoming the first group of employees to pull off a labor win at the Amazon-owned grocery store chain.
Employees at the Philadelphia store cast 130 votes — or about 57 percent of the ballots cast — in favor of joining a local chapter of The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union for the purposes of collective bargaining. According to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversaw the election, 100 workers rejected the motion.
“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward,” said Wendell Young IV, the president of UFCW Local 1776. “We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities.”
The results mark the first successful entry of organized labor into Amazon’s grocery business, which includes Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh and the Amazon Go convenience stores.
Amazon, which purchased Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion, has tried to fend off organizing efforts
in its stores as well as by delivery drivers and warehouse workers.
Nearly three years ago, Amazon warehouse workers in the New York City borough of Staten Island voted to be represented in labor negotiations by a fledgling union that has since affiliated with the Teamsters. But Amazon has refused to come to the bargaining table.
Employees at the Whole Foods store, located in the center of Philadelphia, started organizing early last year, Young said. They teamed up with UFCW Local 1776 in the late summer, and in November petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold an official election.
The local union said the store workers hoped a
successful vote would help them secure higher wages, more affordable health care coverage, child care support, greater work-life balance and better working conditions.
In a statement after the votes were counted on the
tunities to all Team Members.”
“We are disappointed by the outcome of this election, but we are committed to maintaining a positive working environment in our Philly Center City store,” the company added.
“on-demand” mental health support. It did not disclose its average hourly rate, but some online job postings show store employees can earn $16 per hour or higher.
After the union filed the election petition, workers at the Philadelphia store were given free snacks, and the company repainted their break rooms, according to Young.
Earlier this month, UFCW Local 1776 filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB against the company, accusing it of firing one worker in retaliation for union activities and alleging that supervisors told employees they would get paid more if they rejected the union bid. Whole Foods disputed the worker was fired in retaliation.
The union has also accused Whole Foods of withholding region-wide wage increases from employees
“This fight is far from over, but today’s victory is an important step forward. We are ready to bring Whole Foods to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair first contract that reflects the workers’ needs and priorities.”
night of Jan. 27, Whole Foods said it “is proud to offer competitive compensation, great benefits and career advancement oppor-
The company said it provides store employees with a competitive average hourly wage and other benefits, such as 401(k) plans and
at the Philadelphia store because of the union activities.
The company acknowledges it did not offer wage
increases to workers at the store, even though it did so at a number of other stores as part of a quarterly review. Whole Foods maintains it would have been illegal to make wage adjustments in the lead-up to the union election, an argument Young disputed.
The company said it was delaying the pay bumps until after the election to avoid the appearance of trying to influence the vote with raises.
Seattle-based Amazon has resisted union organizing efforts by its workers. Amazon delivery drivers went on strike in a handful of U.S. cities before Christmas to exert pressure on the company to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in North Carolina are scheduled to vote next month on whether they want to be represented by an upstart union called Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment.
The retail giant has challenged the structure of the National Labor Relations Board in court. Amazon accused the federal agency of tampering in the 2022 union election at the Staten Island warehouse, in part by bringing a lawsuit against the company to reinstate a fired organizer close to when voting began.
By Rio Yamat
The Associated Press
The longest strike in decades by Las Vegas hotel workers ended Jan. 22 with a new contract between the union and a casino where hundreds of employees had walked off the job in November.
The Culinary Workers Union announced on the social media platform X that it secured a fiveyear deal for about 700 employees at Virgin Hotels near the Las Ve-
light because of disagreements over pay.
The union’s previous contract with Virgin Hotels expired in June 2023. The new one likely contains significant pay raises similar to what the rest of the union’s members on the Strip, downtown and at other off-Strip properties have gotten in the last year. That includes what the union has described as a historic 32 percent increase in wages over five years, an amount Virgin Hotels had said isn’t “eco-
“We’re doing the same amount of work for less pay. We are literally the lowest-paid union casino as it stands right now.”
gas Strip. In a joint statement, the union and casino said they were ready to move past their disagreements “for the benefit of all team members at the property” after the 69-day strike that began Nov. 15. Bethany Khan, a spokesperson for the union, said the deal came together in recent days and was approved unanimously Jan. 22 by the union’s rank-and-file. That brings an end to the lengthy and highly contentious contract negotiations that had stalled in the public spot-
nomically viable” for the casino’s future.
But throughout the strike, Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer and lead negotiator, repeatedly said workers at Virgin Hotels would not settle for a “second-class contract.”
Lee McNamara, a cook who has worked there for more than 25 years, told Clark County commissioners in early December that they deserved to be paid a living wage like their counterparts at
other casinos.
“We’re doing the same amount of work for less pay,” he said. “We are literally the lowest-paid union casino as it stands right now.”
Even though Virgin Hotels isn’t located on the Strip, the strike was still highly visible to tourists. For months the union maintained around-the-clock picket lines outside the hotel-casino that’s within walking distance of the Strip and along a common route between the main tourist corridor and the city’s international airport.
Workers also blocked traffic at one point during the strike in what
they said was an effort to bring attention to the labor issues at the casino, resulting in arrests.
Throughout the strike, the union publicly criticized Virgin Hotels for hiring temporary workers who crossed the picket line, a comedian canceled his show in support of the union and the NFL Players Association pledged to boycott the casino while workers were on strike.
Employees on the picket line included housekeepers, porters, bellhops and servers. Some said they were willing to stay on the picket line for as long as it takes, even if it meant getting a second
job until a new contract was ratified.
“I’m ready to go for as long as I need to, and I’m pretty sure that’s how everyone else is feeling too,” Michael Renick, a bartender who has worked at Virgin Hotels for about two years, told The Associated Press.
The union last went on strike in 2002, when employees at the Golden Gate hotel-casino in downtown Las Vegas stopped working for 10 days. It is the largest labor union in Nevada with about 60,000 members statewide. Most of them are in Las Vegas.
By Ashlee Banks Special to the AFRO
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate have introduced the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. The legislation aims to strengthen protections for workers seeking to unionize and collectively bargain for wages, benefits and workplace conditions.
The House version of the bill was introduced by Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (DVA-03), the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01). In the Senate, the bill was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), chair of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP).
The legislation includes several provisions aimed at strengthening workers’ rights. It holds employers accountable for violating labor laws by imposing meaningful penalties, facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements and preventing employee misclassification. It also enhances protections for workers against retaliation when exercising their right to organize and it ensures free and fair union elections by limiting employer interference and prohibiting mandatory anti-union meetings.
Congressional lawmakers contend that economic growth has disproportionately benefited corporations and high-income individuals, while many American workers continue to struggle. Data from 1979 to 2020 indicates that while the bottom 90 percent of earners saw a 26 percent increase in annual wages, the top 1 percent experienced a rise of more than 160 percent.
Public sentiment toward organized labor has grown in recent years. A 2022 Gallup poll found that 71 percent of Americans support labor unions, the highest level recorded since 1965. However, union membership in the workforce has declined to 10.1 percent as of 2022, a trend
advocates say is due to anti-union policies and labor laws that make it more difficult for workers to organize.
Black workers, in particular, have historically benefited from union membership. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022, Black workers had a union membership rate of 11.6 percent, higher than the national average. Studies have shown that unionized Black workers earn, on average, over 15 percent more than their non-unionized counterparts and are more likely to have access to employer-sponsored health insurance and retirement benefits. Supporters of the PRO Act argue that strengthening labor protections will help close racial wage gaps and provide greater economic stability for Black families.
Rep. Scott highlighted the significance of strengthening the middle class and improving
working conditions, while also criticizing the obstacles that have weakened workers’ ability to organize.
“Congress has an urgent responsibility to ensure that workers can join a union and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits and safer workplaces.”
“Unions are essential for building a strong middle class and improving the lives of workers and families. Regrettably, for too long, workers have suffered from anti-union attacks and
toothless labor laws that undermined their right to form a union,” Scott said in a statement. “As a historic number of Americans put their support behind labor unions, Congress has an urgent responsibility to ensure that workers can join a union and negotiate for higher pay, better benefits, and safer workplaces.”
Congressman Fitzpatrick also emphasized the importance of the legislation.
“The PRO Act will protect American workers and ensure that employers are held to fair standards,” said the Republican congressman. “This landmark legislation will promote tremendous progress for workers’ empowerment and the economy. I’m proud to support this legislation that bolsters American workers’ right to organize.”
Senator Sanders highlighted the economic disparities that the legislation aims to address.
“At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when too many workers are falling further and further behind, we need to make it easier for workers to exercise their constitutional right to form a union,” Sanders said in a statement.
“If we are going to reverse the 40-year decline of the middle class, reduce the widening gap between the billionaire class and everyone else…we have got to rebuild the trade union movement,” he added.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.-8) also voiced his support for the statute.
“The right to organize is sacred. The basic American contract has always been that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should be able to provide a comfortable living for your family and retire with dignity,” Jeffries said in a statement. “The PRO Act will empower workers, rebuild the middle class and create an economy that works for everyone – not just the privileged few.”
As the bill moves through Congress, its sponsors and supporters are urging bipartisan cooperation to enact what they describe as the most significant labor reform in decades.
By Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware Word in Black
When the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood with Memphis sanitation workers in 1968, he wasn’t just fighting for fair wages — he was embodying a centuries-old alliance between the faith community and labor.
From the secret meetings of enslaved people plotting liberation to the pulpit speeches of modern-day labor leaders, the bond between faith and labor has long been a cornerstone of the fight for justice. This partnership, a bedrock of the civil rights movement, continues as leaders like the Rev. William J. Barber II and unions like the AFL-CIO carry the torch, advocating for living wages, voting rights, and economic equity.
A longstanding alliance
It would be difficult to separate the church from laborers and their rights and the civil rights movement because of their built-in impetus to fight for each other’s issues. Black laborers have traditionally been stalwart members — and even church leaders — so the connection is vital and ongoing.
The earliest Black labor meetings to plan uprisings happened while enslaved people confused their masters into believing it was just those Africans having worship as usual. They plotted escape from the unfair but cruelly legal labor practices they endured, with their songs and prayers masking conversations about freedom.
Later, many of the early gatherings to organize for better working conditions and pay were held in Black churches.
Trade unionist A. Phillip Randolph, with the help of activists Anna Arnold Hedgeman and Bayard Rustin, organized the 1963 March on Washington, which most people forget was about jobs and justice.
Faith organizations, houses of worship, community groups, as well as numerous labor unions showed up in the nation’s capital for the historic march and sounded the alarm for fair treatment and more, better-paying jobs.
The lead song of the Civil Rights Movement soundtrack, “We Shall Overcome,” was adapted from the hymn “I’ll Overcome Some Day,” written in 1901 by Rev. Charles Albert Tindley of Philadelphia, who, ultimately, became a bishop in the United Methodist Church.
Dr. King’s legacy
Dr. King’s April 4, 1968 speech was his last because he refused to desert the sanitation workers of Memphis, although he knew his life was in mortal danger if he appeared.
“If we’re serious about the legacy of Dr. King and the legacy of justice, we can’t simply remember ‘I have a dream’ without remembering what he said about living wages and lifting up poor and low-wealth people,”
Rev. William J. Barber, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign, told Religion News last year.
Barber’s work exemplifies this legacy. Over the past two years, his coalition enlisted the hands and feet of laborers of all kinds to knock on doors and register voters — workers who hadn’t traditionally voted because campaigning politicians never bothered to speak to issues like poverty and wage inequality.
“We had some 400 organizations join with us in 2022 when we had the first mass poor people and low-wage workers March on Washington, as well as major denominations and religious groups. We’re calling on all of them to reach the people in their immediate circles,” Barber said.
Labor in the pulpit
And the partnership between labor and faith communities con-
Leaders of the nation’s largest national Black organizations meet in New York’s Roosevelt Hotel on July 2, 1963 to discuss plans for the March on Washington. Shown here, John Lewis (left), chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee; Whitney Young, national director of the Urban League; A. Philip Randolph, president of the Negro American Labor Council; Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; James Farmer, director of the Congress of Racial Equality and Roy Wilkins, executive secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
tinues. The AFL-CIO’s program, The “Labor in the Pulpit, on the Bimah and in the Minbar” program, sends labor leaders to houses of worship on Labor Day weekend to “speak about the values of equity, racial and economic justice, and the solidarity that labor shares with the faith community,” according to its website, which also contains an organizing guide and toolkit for potential hosts. The bimah and the minbar are — for the synagogue and the mosque, respectively — the equivalents of the pulpit of a
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church.
Speakers “make a five-minute presentation about the values labor shares with the faith community, the issues impacting working people and the importance of the faith community and labor working together to achieve a more just and equitable society for all,” according to the toolkit.
During these services, the speakers also bring to mind the hard work of past leaders who fought diligently for things like an eight-hour work day, overtime pay,
pensions, family and medical leave, and even the minimum wage, for which the fight continues.
As economic inequality grows and voting rights come under threat, this alliance between faith and labor leaders offers a model of collective action. Whether in the pulpit, on the picket line, or at the ballot box, the shared struggle for justice is as urgent as ever.
This article was originally published by Word in Black.
For many Black, Hispanic and Latino families, as well as other cultures, multigenerational living is a cherished aspect of home life. It can also be good for your family’s overall wellbeing.
Research indicates there can be financial benefits to multigenerational living, and when executed intentionally, having multiple family members under the same roof can potentially help improve health outcomes, reduce loneliness for older adults and bolster educational outcomes for children.1
While multigenerational living has many positives, it also comes with a unique set of financial matters and planning needs. From saving and budgeting to dividing costs and estate planning, navigating the financial landscape of a multigenerational home calls for foresight and strategy.
Below are some financial considerations for people living in multigenerational households and those considering moving in with family members.
Helping to build family wealth
In a 2022 study, the Pew Research Center found people in multigenerational households were less likely to live in poverty,2 and some multigenerational households had more earners than the non-multigenerational households, which can
1. AARP, “Multigenerational living.” (2024).
2. The demographics of multigenerational households.” (March 2022)
help provide a safety net in case someone loses a job. It can also encourage homeownership -- 14% percent of all home buyers in the study said their purchase was motivated by a desire to accommodate multiple generations in their family.
Having diverse financial needs
Savings and budgeting plans can be more complicated because of the wide range of ages among family members. Seniors might require more for health care and retirement, for example, while children can bring daycare and tuition costs. Be flexible with your planning to accommodate different saving and budgeting needs and set short- and long-term goals for your savings with all generations in mind.
Expenses should be handled with fairness and equity
Multigenerational households have to ensure fairness by dividing costs such as mortgage or rent, utilities, groceries and household expenses based on each member’s financial capacity and usage. A sense of transparency can be maintained among family members by openly discussing financial contributions and expenses.
Find balance between cultural values and financial health
Cultural traditions and familial structures can also play a significant role in money management, and it’s important to consider how multigenerational living can impact
family wealth. Cultural heritage can shape financial attitudes and practices within multigenerational households, including saving habits, investment strategies and perceptions of wealth. Understanding how your cultural values connect to your beliefs and practices related to money can be essential for effective financial management within diverse family structures.
Communication is key to managing conflict and disagreement
The more people living in a home, the more likely they’ll face conflicting financial priorities. Navigating disagreements over spending habits and adapting to changing income levels or unexpected expenses are necessary to maintain financial stability in multigenerational households.
Future planning is vital
Estate plans should be tailored to accommodate the financial needs and goals of each generation within the household and strategies should be developed for transferring ownership of businesses or properties to ensure continuity and preserve the family’s legacy. Make sure to compile essential legal documents -- including wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives -- to outline the distribution of assets and clarify end-of-life wishes.
The bottom line
Multigenerational households can foster financial harmony and
wellbeing by accounting for their individual financial goals and their shared responsibilities. Family members should be clear about plans, needs and expectations to promote financial stability and satisfaction for all. Communicating about these issues early can help avoid tension later on.
By addressing these considerations holistically and prioritizing open discussion and collaboration, multigenerational households can build a solid financial foundation, helping them achieve prosperity and security for their family members now and in the future.
Read more about financial considerations for multigenerational households here on chase.com/ theknow
J.P. Morgan Wealth Management is a business of JPMorgan Chase & Co., which offers investment products and services through J.P. Morgan Securities LLC (JPMS), a registered broker-dealer and investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC Insurance products are made available through Chase Insurance Agency, Inc. (CIA),
By Alexis Taylor AFRO Managing Editor
Last year, on Sept. 30, shortly before the stroke of midnight, I found myself unable to sleep. As I prepared for bed, members of the International Longshoreman’s Association were preparing to go on strike.
Putting my head to the pillow, I got that feeling. The feeling all journalists get when there’s a story brewing within 100 miles. As Baltimore is the largest port for automobile shipments, according to the Department of Transportation’s Port Administration, I knew a strike at ports along the East and Gulf Coasts would certainly include the men and women of Baltimore City.
And with that thought, I jumped up.
The movement kicked off at 12 a.m. on Oct. 1, when the contract between the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance ended with no new agreement.
By 12:30 a.m., with my partner in tow, I was speeding towards the port. What would we see when we got there? Would the protests be peaceful? Well organized? How would this impact recovery efforts as local, state and federal leaders tried to restore order in the wake of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse roughly six months prior?
As we neared the Dundalk Marine Terminal, things were eerily quiet and dark. And then we saw them: a small contingent of seven men with signs expressing their demands.
“We’re surprised to see you here,” said one.
“It’s the AFRO- we had to be here,” I replied.
Though they were barred from giving their names, due to rules laid out by their
beverages, household items such as furniture and appliances, and manufactured parts such as electric machinery parts and iron and steel products. On the export side, wood pulp and articles of wood account for a large number of loads, as well as aluminum and articles thereof, and oil seeds and grains.”
A total of 15 of the top ports in the country are along the East and Gulf Coast. While the contributions of ILA’s members could be ignored in the good times, the impact of a strike when contract negotiations soured could not be underestimated.
“The ILA strike proved that even in current times, the tactics used by Black labor giants such as A. Philip Randolph and Hattie Canty, are still tried and true to this day.”
union, the men spoke to their demands.
Holding signs that read “No work without a fair contract” and “Machines don’t feed families: Support ILA workers,” the longshoremen were taking a stance.
At the heart of their mission was a need for job security in a world dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) more and more each day. The longshoreman also called for a significant wage increase.
After a brief conversation, the men pointed us to another location, further down the road, where a traditional picket line was in full swing.
Though I had covered protests and seen unions flex their power before, what I witnessed on this night was something I’ll never forget.
Pulling up to the second location, one thing was clear: there is strength in numbers.
Black and White longshoremen were marching together in a large circle, demanding a 77 percent wage increase and regulations on the use of AI. They were vowing to bring the country to a screeching halt if their demands were not met.
But could a breakdown in labor at 36 American ports really do that much damage?
To put it simply- yes.
Though the average American may not think about where their car, groceries or common household goods come from, the truth is, the dockworkers along the country’s East and Gulf Coast play a significant part in daily life.
According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), “Containers carry a wide assortment of goods.”
This includes imports of “apparel,
On day one of the strike, the ILA proved their point: the country could be crippled if the longshoremen, standing together, did not get what they wanted.
Not only would consumers be impacted by empty shelves, major companies would miss the shipment of materials needed to create their products– or transport them via water.
“For example, 45 percent of the containers exported from Houston are loaded with resins or plastics. Raw cotton and poultry exporters are reliant on the Port of Savannah, which is the nation’s largest poultry exporting port,” reports the CRS. “Philadelphia and Wilmington (Delaware) are rivals as the leading ports handling imports of fresh fruit in refrigerated containers.”
The strike highlighted how heavily dependent Americans are on the waterways and workers used to deliver their necessities.
It also proved another major point: while a single person might tire and become apathetic to a substandard condition, lulled into submission by the monumental size of
the challenge, together, any Goliath could be slayed.
On Oct. 1 I watched in amazement as a full-sized semi-truck, packed with shiny, brand new automobiles pulled up to a gate at the Dundalk Marine Terminal. Where one worker surely could have been convinced to step aside, dozens of them came together to block the truck from entering.
Before the strike began, the nation’s top economists estimated that the ILA strike could cost the country about three to four billion dollars a day. I was witnessing in real time how union members could impact the economy of a nation. Multiple shipments were blocked that night, and after we left, there were reports that a garbage truck driver was physically attacked as he tried to break
the picket line.
The longshoremen meant business. And in the end, after standing together, they were successful. After three days, the strike was called off. A tentative agreement was put in place to ensure a 62 percent pay increase for workers over the next six years, while the automation protections were worked out.
In January 2025, the ILA and the U.S. Maritime Alliance announced that a “framework for implementing technologies that will create more jobs while modernizing East and Gulf coast ports” had been established.
The ILA strike proved that even in current times, the tactics used by Black labor giants such as A. Philip
and
are still tried and true to this
By Ashleigh Fields Special to the AFRO
Issac Myers became a pioneering activist in the mid1800s after years of hard work and labor on ships in the ports of Baltimore. Myers was born a free man in 1835.
Though Myers was free, life was still hard for Black Baltimoreans in the slave state of Maryland. According to information from the American Postal Workers Union (APWU), “he came of age at a time when the city’s schools denied entry to all AfricanAmerican children, slave or free, but Myers learned to read and write under the tutelage of John Fortie, a Methodist minister.”
Eventually, he made his way to the docks. According to the Maryland State Archives, both Black and White, free and enslaved, worked together in the ports of Baltimore. There, Myers managed to earn wages by caulking and sealing ships, starting at the age of 16 years old.
For a decade he toiled in the trade, reliant on the water lining the City of Baltimore. By 1955, he was working as a supervisor for a major Baltimore ship yard. Myers would leave the ports to work for a wholesale grocery business, but his time at the water’s edge exposed many opportunities to make change for the better.
APWU records report that “in the late 1850s, the caulkers were being paid $1.75 per day — which was more than many White workers earned in similar trades. The high pay did not go unnoticed by shipyard owners and the influx of im-
ployed both Black and White workers, serving as a center of the city’s shipbuilding industry.”
And he didn’t stop there. In 1868, Myers founded the Colored Caulkers Trade Union Society. At the dawn of
migrant workers seeking jobs on the waterfront.”
Soon, riots broke out, and “some shipyard owners refused to hire Black caulkers,” according to the APWU. “At the end of the Civil War, in 1865, White workers staged a successful strike that forced shipyards to dismiss AfricanAmericans. Approximately 1,000 dock workers lost their jobs.”
This would serve as motivation for Myers. In 1866 he
returned to the ports with a master plan in mind.
According to the Maryland State Archives, “Kennard’s Wharf at the end of Philpot Street, the very place where Frederick Douglass entered Baltimore as a slave…later became the site of one of the most successful black-owned businesses in Baltimore City, the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company.”
Myers’ business “em-
White men of the country have nothing to fear....We desire to have the highest rate of wages that our labor is worth.”
Still, White men rejected Myers’ plan to have the Colored Caulkers Trade Union Society join the National
“I speak today for the colored men of the whole country... when I tell you that all they ask for themselves is a fair chance; that you shall be no worse off by giving them that chance...”
a new era, brought on by the end of the Civil War, Myers began protesting worker treatment– and doing something about it.
Eventually, the group was invited to cross racial barriers as a participant in the National Labor Union (NLU) convention, an all White union coalition.
“I speak today for the colored men of the whole country...when I tell you that all they ask for themselves is a fair chance; that you shall be no worse off by giving them that chance....” Myers told NLU leaders in 1869. “The
Labor Union as a formal member. Instead, they wanted a separate affiliated organization. In turn, the Colored National Labor Union (CNLU) was created in 1869 by Myers and Douglass as a safe haven for Black workers, with Myers serving as the first president. Douglass was selected as president of the CNLU in 1872, not long before it disbanded.
Much like Douglass, Myers had a passion for politics and remained a high ranking member of the Republican party at a time when it was more aligned with Black interests.
After the CNLU ceased operation, Myers didn’t give up the fight. According to the Organization of Black Maritime Graduates, “he was still organizing groups as well including the Maryland Colored State Industrial Fair Association where he was the president, the Colored Business Men’s Association of Baltimore, the Colored Building and Loan Association and the Aged Ministers Home of the AME Church.”
Later in life, Myers served under President Ulysses S. Grant as a Customs Service agent and as a postal service agent, reporting to Postmaster General John Creswell. According to the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum, Myers is the first known AfricanAmerican postal inspector, serving from 1870 until 1879. He also became editor of “Colored Citizen,” a newspaper that focused on Black issues. He died in 1891.
Today, the site where Myers operated his Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company is home to the Living Classrooms Foundation and the Frederick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park. Visitors can learn about the maritime industry and the rich history rooted in Baltimore, thanks to leaders like Isaac Myers.
By Megan Sayles AFRO Staff Writer msayles@afro.com
The late Vincent Leggett, named admiral of the Chesapeake by former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening in 2003, dedicated his life to preserving and amplifying the stories of free and enslaved African Americans who were the backbone of Maryland’s seafood and maritime industries. His organization, Blacks of the Chesapeake, has been documenting the impact and contributions of Black sailors, oystermen, crabbers, longshoreman, sailmakers, boat builders and more since 1984.
In 2023, Leggett and other Marylanders dedicated to carrying on the legacy of these unsung trailblazers became subjects of Alexis Aggrey’s documentary film, “Water’s Edge: Black Watermen of the Chesapeake.” On Feb. 1, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African-American History and Culture and the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) held a screening and panel discussion for the film, inviting the public to learn more about these untold stories.
“I want to be clear, not only were we pioneers in running boats and picking houses– we were leaders. We were owners in these areas— owning boats, building boats, making sails, owning picking houses and the like,” said Drew Hawkins, chair of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum’s board of directors. “We crafted terms that are popularly used today when we talk about crab meat. Our impact has really been far and wide.”
Some of the pioneers covered in the film included Captain George Brown, the Turner family of Talbot County and Downes Curtis. Under the segregation of Jim Crow America, Brown amassed enough capital to acquire a steamboat, the “Starlight,” and a beach, which he named Brown’s Grove. In 1914, he began transporting African-American families to the Anne Arundel County beach for day trips during a time when they were not welcome at popular beaches, like the Tolchester Beach Amusement Park.
The Turner family, seafood legends of Bellevue, Md., were property owners, crab and oyster traders and boat builders. They ran two notable seafood processing houses, W.A. Turner and Sons and Bellevue Seafood Company, from the mid to the late 1900s. The success of the enterprises, which employed many of the town’s residents, made the predominantly Black community self-sufficient.
Curtis, of Oxford, Md., and his brother, Albert, learned sailmaking from Englishman Dave Pritchett. Following Pritchett’s death in 1936, the brothers carried on his work running a sail loft. The Curtises became renowned for their sails, cutting them for noteworthy figures like the Kennedy family and actor Jackie Gleason.
Dee Dee Strum, interim CEO and president of for Blacks
Minorities in Aquaculture; Noelle
the
and
and oyster harvesters in Maryland.
One of his greatest achievements was a 17-year campaign to preserve the last five acres of the once 180-acre Elktonia Beach, an Annapolis property purchased by formerly enslaved man Frederick Carr in 1902. The spot became a flourishing resort for Black beachgoers. Leggett led an effort to save the beach from development, and it was instead turned into a public park.
“Vince would have been over the moon,” said Aldena Legget, his wife, at the screening. Vincent Leggett died on Nov. 23, 2024. “This is what he loved. He loved history. He loved Black history.”
“I want to be clear, not only were we pioneers in running boats and picking houses– we were leaders.”
Today, watermen, like Captain Tyrone Meredith, have made careers out of running charter boats for people interested in fishing. The fifth generation fisherman operates the longest headboat in the Kent Narrows fishing fleet, the “Island Queen.”
The screening of “Waters Edge: Black Waterman of the Chesapeake” was held in memory of Leggett, who died in 2024 at age 71. A Baltimore native, Leggett penned two books to expose readers to the contributions of African Americans in the seafood and maritime industries, “Blacks of the Chesapeake: An Integral Part of Maritime History,” and “The Chesapeake Bay Through Ebony Eyes.”
Dee Dee Strum, interim CEO for Blacks of the Chesapeake, described Leggett as a humanitarian and boundary crosser.
“He felt that the story of African Americans as major contributors to establishing Maryland as a global powerhouse for sailing, the seafood industry and the maritime industry needed to be told. All of that was fueled originally by enslaved Africans who actually were brought here by written orders,” said Strum. “They wanted persons from African tribes brought here to this region who had experiences in working the waterways in Africa.”
Considering the substandard health of the Chesapeake Bay today, Strum said the organization’s top priority this year is pushing environmental justice, the larger umbrella of Leggett’s work. She wants to ensure there is a pipeline for youth of color to become environmentalists and restore the bay.
This becomes even more critical as the historical denial of access to public pools and beaches for African Americans has perpetuated a stereotype that Black people don’t like the water, according to Strum.
“We have to make way for them to feel welcomed at the waterways,” said Strum “This is their bay. It’s our bay. It’s everyone’s bay.”
By Aria Brent AFRO Staff Writer abrent@afro.com
Black women have played a crucial, yet often overlooked, role in the labor union movement, fighting for both workers’ rights and racial justice.
Hattie Canty 1933-2012
Hattie Canty was a dedicated labor activist and one of the most influential figures in the Las Vegas labor movement. As president of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in the 1990s, she fought tirelessly for fair wages, job security, and improved working conditions for hospitality workers, many of whom were Black and immigrant women. Canty played a key role in organizing strikes and advocating for racial and economic justice, helping to transform Las Vegas into a stronghold for unionized labor. Her leadership and activism left a lasting impact on workers’ rights in the hospitality industry.
Despite facing discrimination from both employers and some unions, they organized domestic workers, factory employees, and service industry laborers to demand fair wages, better conditions, and job security.
Their efforts helped bridge the labor and civil rights movements, ensuring that Black workers—
Rosina Corrothers Tucker 1881-1981
Rosina Corrothers Tucker was a pioneering labor activist and civil rights advocate who played a vital role in organizing the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP), the first Black labor union to receive a charter from the American Federation of Labor. Born in the late 19th century, Tucker worked tirelessly alongside her husband and union leader A. Philip Randolph to advocate for better wages and working conditions for Black railway workers. She also championed voter education and civil rights, empowering Black people to fight for economic and political justice. Her lifelong activism helped shape the labor movement and advance racial equality in the United States.
Velma Hopkins 1909-1996
Velma Hopkins was a trailblazing activist and labor organizer who played a crucial role in the civil rights and labor movements, particularly in Winston-Salem, N.C,. A key leader in the 1940s efforts to unionize Black and White workers in the tobacco industry, she helped mobilize thousands of workers for better wages and working conditions through the Local 22 chapter of the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural and Allied Workers of America (FTA). Hopkins was also deeply involved in voting rights activism, working to dismantle racial barriers in the South. Her dedication to justice and equality left a lasting impact on labor organizing and civil rights in the United States.
especially Black women, had a voice in shaping economic and social policies. Their activism not only strengthened unions but also laid the foundation for broader struggles for racial and gender equality in the workplace. Here are five Black women whose activism deeply impacted the labor union movement.
Sylvia Woods 1909-1987
Sylvia Woods was a committed civil rights and labor activist who played a significant role in the fight for workers’ rights and racial equality. As a leader in the labor movement, she worked to improve conditions for Black workers, particularly in the service and hospitality industries. Wood was deeply involved in union organizing efforts, advocating for fair wages and better job security. Her dedication to justice and equality helped empower Black workers and contributed to broader labor and civil rights advancements in the United States.
Maida Springer Kemp 1910-2005
Maida Springer Kemp was a pioneering labor activist and international organizer who championed workers’ rights both in the United States and abroad. As one of the first Black women to hold a leadership role in the American labor movement, she worked with the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union (ILGWU) to fight for fair wages, better working conditions, and racial equality. Springer Kemp also extended her activism globally, supporting labor movements in Africa and the Caribbean. Her lifelong dedication to labor rights and international solidarity made her a trailblazer in the fight for economic and social justice.
By D. Kevin McNeir
Special
A
The panel discussion, “Music and Black Labor,” supported the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s (ASALH) 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor.”
The event, moderated by Patrick D. McCoy, organist
and choirmaster at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Beltsville, featured Michele Cober, an attorney and former opera singer; Grayland Snead, a music educator and church choral director; and Keenan McCarter, a performing artist and member of the U.S. Army Chorus in Washington, D.C.
With the theme of “Music and Black Labor,” several accomplished musicians and vocalists from the D.C. region participate in a panel discussion Feb. 1 in Prince George’s County. The session kicked off a month-long celebration highlighting the achievements of African Americans during Black History Month 2025. Pictured here are Grayland Snead (left), Michele Cober, Patrick D. McCoy and Keenan McCarter.
Cober explained the challenges she faced trying to financially support herself as a vocalist, which led her to leave the music industry and pursue a legal career.
“I was on the road on tour and was subjected to a variety of deplorable working conditions that threatened my physical health and were dangerous to my voice — all being in direct violation of my contract,” Cober said. “I guess you could say I had a revelation. I left the tour and realized that I could no longer go on. I had to change lanes and consider my options for a different career.”
Shortly after returning home, Cober learned she was being sued for not fulfilling her contract.
“I thought I understood the industry and believed I had been prepared for the challenges we often face, but I discovered that it takes a lot more than just having a good voice to succeed,” she said. “It’s a business, and while your voice may be your primary asset, if you don’t know how to manage your business, you’re not going to make it.”
Snead, who described himself as a lifelong advocate for the transformative power of music, said systemic challenges in education and related policies often prevent talented youth from advancing toward their dreams.
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“America has changed the focus in public education from the whole child to a STEM society, but that leaves a lot of children on the outside looking in — kids who only come to school because they are passionate about the arts,” Snead said. “What tends to be ignored is the fact that music helps youth develop life skills that are transferable to almost any profession. And it’s wrong to view music as an afterthought. If America really cares about being a nation that’s rich in diversity and that welcomes all kinds of cultures, it’s imperative that music and musical training continue to be supported and available for youth.”
Cober agreed, adding that while STEM education programs are career-oriented, the options for musicians and vocalists are often vague and nonspecific.
“The things I learned at Duke Ellington High School and while pursuing two degrees in vocal music performance — rehearsals, working with coaches, auditions, cattle calls, attention to my health and even the disappointments that came from not being chosen — gave me a tough skin,” she said. “They helped me develop a level of precision and excellence that I have used throughout my life.”
The role of affirmative action and DEI
The conversation then moved to the impact of affirmative action and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs on African Americans. McCoy asked the panelists whether such policies had helped or hindered Black professionals.
Snead said DEI guarantees that there are advocates in the workplace for the voiceless and those from traditionally disadvantaged communities.
“The current trend to eliminate DEI in government and the workplace is detrimental to the kinds of opportunities
available for Black people,” he said. “DEI, and before that affirmative action, allegedly leveled the playing field. But we are still working from the bottom.”
McCarter said he was surprised by the opportunities that came his way after joining the military.
“I’ve always wanted to pursue a career as a vocalist, but I also wanted to produce my own music — to write and record,” McCarter said.
“Joining the military was a plus because it introduced me to musical theater and opened other doors. It provided me with additional income that I have used to promote myself, to fund other interests, all related to my career, and to help me take advantage of additional training opportunities that I needed to be a successful
musical entrepreneur.”
Preserving musical traditions
As the panel ended, participants agreed that the legacy and significance of spirituals and hymns, which were prominent during the Civil Rights Movement, need to be passed on to the next generation.
“Students at performing arts high schools learned the spirituals and performed them,” Cober said. “We also learned the stories about those songs — what they meant to enslaved Africans and their children following the end of slavery. That’s not the case today.”
“Outside of the church, the tradition is no longer being emphasized, honored or passed on to our youth,” Snead said, “and that’s a real tragedy.”
By Rebecca Dupas
Black laughter will always seem audacious
In spaces that expect our silence
A smirk
A long look
A confident response
Easily mistaken as violent
In the world
Where a White man’s protest is a Black man’s riot
When there isn’t a seat at the table
A Black body will always seem defiant
How it sits there taking up space
Not hinting towards its complexion
But seemingly always talking about race
Always representing the whole of its people
Always reminding the world that separate won’t ever be equal
that a Black body will always have its sequel
Always be persistent in its resistance
How it sits there regal
Regardless of income and opportunity
We are a resilient people
Waymakers
Even when affirmative action could never
But what is a barrier to a Harriet?
What is racial trauma to an Obama?
The world tried to ‘trump’ us
But we keep coming
From enslaved in America to America’s president
Now that’s one h*** of a promotion
We went from serving to space holding
Shout out to Black people interrupting Whiteness
And refusing to be a token
We bend but we are never broken
Knowing that our movements are patrolled
We are not praying for heaven at the moment
We just want to make it home
Should someone decide that our lives don’t matter enough
Should our colleagues and friends
think they they are going to Amy Cooper us
This is the paradox of Black existence
Being relegated to small spaces and still making
miracles
We climb
Bring our kinks and our large behinds
Bringing our good food and our soul
For every ancestor that they stole and sold
We are coming
For the seat
For the whole damn table
For the title
For the office
For the label
We pullin’ up and we eating platefuls
We ain’t never wasteful
We are making up for every single meal we have been denied
We got our own chairs
And we tellin folks ‘Okay, it’s time for you to move aside’
The battle for better pay and work conditions for Black people is not a new fight. In fact, Black men and women long ago took up the challenge of securing fair pay and better working conditions for those
Nov. 1949
that help keep everything from factories and hospitals to public schools and railroads systems running. Take a look at how the AFRO covered the movements of Black men and women who took part in their respective unions.
Mary McLeod Bethune had the humblest of beginnings. Born in 1875 to two former slaves, she rose to become the first woman to ever serve a college as president.
According to the National Park Service, on Oct. 3, 1904 Bethune founded the Daytona Literary and Industrial Training Institute for Negro Girls. Almost 20 years later, in 1923, Bethune’s school joined forces with the all-male Cookman Institute of Jacksonville, Florida. Within ten years of the merger the school received official accreditation from the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools of the Southern States.
Today, Bethune- Cookman University educates students from around the world.
Even in death, Bethune is still breaking records. In 2022, her likeness was memorialized in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol. She was the first Black person– man or womanto have her statue added to the collection.
BELOW:
Sept. 1966
William Simon, president of the D.C. Teachers Union leads a group of teachers picketing in the nation’s capital in protest of Congressional cuts to D.C. budget proposals.
Oct. 1965
With the blessings of the Supt. Laurence G. Paquin, members of the Baltimore Teachers Union (AFL-CIO) take to the streets with signs in Oct. 1965, urging a better deal for the school budget.
April 1966
July 1972
By D. Kevin McNeir Special to the AFRO
Fallout continues from the late January firing of top National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officials, as one dismissed leader, NLRB member Gwynne Wilcox, officially filed a lawsuit against the 47th president of the United States on Feb. 5.
The five-member NLRB represents the only federal agency tasked with protecting the rights of private sector workers to organize and pursue collective bargaining in the U.S. The agency also issues final administrative decisions on unfair labor practice activities and recommends solutions in cases of statutory violations.
NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo, acting General Counsel Jessica Rutter and board member Gwynne Wilcox – the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB – were relieved of duty on Jan. 27.
The legality of the removal of the three leaders remains in question. According to the National Labor Relations Act, a president only has the authority to remove a board member for “neglect of duty or malfeasance in office, but for no other cause.”
Wilcox said her being fired represents yet another effort by the current administration to go after agencies within the federal government that address anti-racist and antisegregationist initiatives.
In a statement, Wilcox expressed her concerns.
“As the first Black woman board member, I brought a unique perspective that I believe will be lost upon my unprecedented and illegal removal,” Wilcox wrote.
According to the Feb. 5 lawsuit “Wilcox is the first Black woman to serve on the Board, the first Black woman to serve as its Chair, and—if the President’s action is allowed to stand—will also be the first member to be removed from office since the Board’s inception in 1935.”
With the requirement that the Board must have a quorum to conduct any official business, the remaining Board members find themselves unable to issue final decisions
on unfair labor practice complaints that have been initiated by workers and unions.
It’s estimated that the decisions on labor rights issued by the Board impact tens of millions of private sector workers – many of whom are members of unions.
In speaking to the impact of the unprecedented decision, National Education Association President Rebecca S. Pringle issued a statement shortly after news reports were confirmed.
“Hardworking Americans, of every race and from every place in this country, deserve to have their voices heard and their rights on the job protected. Anyone who is not a CEO or billionaire donor should be deeply alarmed by President Trump’s unlawful and unprecedented decision to remove a member of the Na-
tional Labor Relations Board.
This stunt is a gross abuse of power that undermines the very foundation of workers’ rights and protections in
workers.
“Trump is silencing the voices of workers who rely on the Board to protect their rights, secure fair treatment
“As the first Black woman board member, I brought a unique perspective that I believe will be lost upon my unprecedented and illegal removal.”
this country,” said Pringle who represents the nation’s largest union with a membership totaling more than three million.
She also highlighted how the reduction in the number of NLRB members, which leaves the Board unable to do its job, will impact American
and advocate for just conditions in their workplaces.
NLRB’s rulings on important worker rights and organizing cases will grind to a halt,” Pringle said in a statement. “Every member of Congress has an obligation to tell [him] that they will not tolerate this kind of imperial declaration.”
By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire
As if Black America and other minorities needed a reminder that the United States is under a dictatorship, the country is barreling toward one of the darkest periods in its 248year history.
President Donald Trump fired two of the three Democratic commissioners of the
“This undermines the efforts of this agency to protect employees from discrimination, support employers’ compliance efforts, and expand public awareness and understanding of federal employment laws.”
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a move that civil rights advocates warn is aimed at dismantling workplace protections for racial minorities, women and LGBTQ+ individuals. The Associated Press reported that Trump dismissed Charlotte Burrows and Jocelyn Samuels late Jan. 27, an
unprecedented action that strips the bipartisan agency of its independence.
The firings, which occurred before the expiration of their five-year terms, leave the agency with just one Democratic commissioner, Kalpana Kotagal, and one Republican commissioner, Andrea Lucas, whom Trump recently appointed as acting chair. Trump now has the power to fill three vacancies, effectively reshaping the EEOC into a weapon against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Another Republican commissioner, Keith Sonderling, resigned after Trump appointed him Deputy Secretary of Labor.
Burrows and Samuels both indicated they would challenge their removal, calling it a brazen violation of the EEOC’s independent mandate. “This undermines the efforts of this agency to protect employees from discrimination, support employers’ compliance efforts, and expand public awareness and understanding of federal employment laws,” Burrows said in a statement.
The EEOC, created by the 1964 Civil Rights Act, investigates workplace discrimination claims and imposes penalties on employers who violate anti-discrimination laws. It also issues critical guidelines on workplace protections, ensuring that companies comply with laws preventing discrimination based on race, gender, disability and other protected characteristics.
Trump’s latest move appears designed to position the EEOC to target employers with DEI policies, aligning with his administration’s broader attack on civil rights protections. Lucas, the new acting chair, signaled this shift last week, vowing to prioritize “rooting out
workers, stating that anti-discrimination laws remain intact despite the administration’s aggressive rollback of protections. Samuels, who was appointed by Trump in 2020, called her removal illegal.
“This represents a fundamental misunderstanding of the EEOC as an independent agency—not controlled by a single Cabinet secretary but designed as a multi-member body,” she said.
Civil rights organizations and labor advocates condemned the firings as a direct attack on workers’ rights. “Today’s outrageous firings send a cruel message that not all workers can count on the EEOC,” said Gaylynn Burroughs, vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center. “Under the EEOC envisioned by Trump, the government will no longer have your back if you are a transgender or gay worker seeking fair treatment. And if you are a person of color or a woman, your success at work is evidence of ‘illegal DEI.’”
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) called Trump’s decision another sign of his disregard for the law. “These are yet more lawless actions by a president who thinks he is above the law and clearly could not care less about the rights of workers,” she said.
unlawful DEI-motivated race and sex discrimination,” while also advancing anti-transgender policies.
Burrows and Samuels had previously condemned Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI programs and protections for transgender
Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, warned that the firings severely undermine the agency’s mission. “Ensuring that the EEOC can carry out its vital work should not be a partisan issue,” Scott said. “In the end, President Trump’s actions fundamentally hurt
and undermine the
rights laws
Former presidents had to balance employers’ demands for foreign workers with pressure to restrict immigration – and current ones do too
By Gabrielle Clark
The Conversation
President Donald Trump promised during his three presidential campaigns to deport as many immigrants living in the U.S. without legal authorization as possible.
His second administration got underway less than one month after former President Jimmy Carter died in December 2024. This sequence of events brings to mind, for me – a public law scholar who studies the historical role of foreign workers in the U.S. – the legacy of Carter’s immigration policy and its stark contrast with Trump’s agenda.
Carter left several lasting markers on immigration policy. Among them was that he reformed the H-2 visa, a permit that allows foreigners to legally and temporarily work in the United States for one employer for one year. He did so by striking a new balance between satisfying the needs of employers and protecting American workers from foreign labor competition.
Trump, by contrast, intends to undertake mass deportations. He has stated that his administration will remove millions of immigrants living in the U.S. without
legal authorization. I’m writing a book about the long-standing conflict between employers and workers over allowing foreigners to legally work in the U.S. Despite Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, I won’t be surprised if Republicans follow in Carter’s footsteps by making it easier for more low-wage migrants to get short-term authorization to hold U.S. jobs.
Replacing the Bracero program
farms and other employers who wanted a path around immigration restrictions and access to a seasonal labor force. In 1965, however, President Lyndon B. Johnson’s secretary of labor, W. Willard Wirtz, had limited H-2 certifications to Florida sugar farms and East Coast fruit orchards.
The total number of foreigners with H-2 visas who were employed in U.S. agriculture fell from 13,578 in 1967 to 11,661 in 1977.
whole crop areas from the program, as Wirtz had done.
The reasoning behind the change was simple: The Carter administration wanted to help farms switch from workers living in the U.S. without legal authorization to migrants holding H-2 visas.
When Carter became president in January 1977, 13 years had passed since the end of the Bracero Program, which let Mexican men legally get short-term jobs on U.S. farms. Demand for that labor persisted after the Bracero program ended, so large farms hired Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. illegally instead.
Carter saw things differently than Johnson and Wirtz.
the Immigration Naturalization Service authorize 5,000 new H-2 foreign labor visas in June 1977. Over 800 of the visas went to onion, melon,
“I believe it is possible to structure this program so that it responds to the legitimate needs of both employees, by protecting domestic employment opportunities and of employers, by providing a needed workforce.”
The AFL-CIO, an umbrella group that most U.S. unions belong to, and the United
Farm Workers, a labor union, pressured the Carter administration for immigration enforcement. They were engaged in heated organization campaigns in the fields and wanted to reduce competition from foreign workers.
Carter, a former peanut farmer and a pragmatist, had
pepper and cotton farms in south Texas.
Congress had created the H-2 guest worker visa in 1952 on behalf of owners of large
“I believe it is possible to structure this program so that it responds to the legitimate needs of both employees, by protecting domestic employment opportunities, and of employers, by providing a needed workforce,” he told Congress on Aug. 4, 1977.
Striking a new compromise
By 1978, the Labor Department had issued H-2 visa regulations that balanced the interests of business and workers.
For employers, they were a boon: For the first time, agricultural employers were entitled to hire foreign workers under the law.
The secretary of labor could no longer eliminate
Yet, the Carter administration also expanded protections for migrant farmworkers. Their employers now needed to offer them higher wages and better working conditions. The regulations also mandated that employers seeking authority to use the H-2 program try harder to recruit Americans.
Under Carter, the Labor Department also extended the rules to Maine’s lumber industry and western wool producers.
These industries had relied on French Canadians and Spanish Basques to handle much of their work through the H-2 program since the 1950s without having to pay minimum wage rates or recruit American workers first.
The Maine Woodcutter’s Association and the Navajo Indian Council had lobbied Carter to address poverty and underemployment in their regions.
See more on afro.com
By AFRO Staff
Born in Crescent City, Fla., Asa Philip Randolph came into the world on April 15, 1889 to James William Randolph and Elizabeth Robinson Randolph. Together, the tailor and the seamstress laid a firm foundation for a boy who would later become the first great Black union leader in America.
Like millions of Black Americans at the start of the Great Migration, Randolph found himself going North at age 22 in search of a life free of Jim Crow’s rule and Ku Klux Klan terror, according to the Library of Congress. He settled in Harlem, New York. There, he met North Carolina native Chandler Owen. In 1917, the men started “The Messenger,” a magazine that strongly advocated for Black workers and union rights.
June 1938
Shown here, the delegation representing the Washington Division of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (Washington BSCP), who called at the Washington AFRO to refute charges that they were dissatisfied with their new contract, as alleged by members of the Pullman Porter’s and Maids Protective Association. Front: W.S. Anderson, president of the Washington BSCP. Second row left to right: S.J. McClellah, vice president; B.C. Massey, secretary-treasurer; Bernice Williamson, vice president of the council; Third row: Anna B. Robertson; J.H. Morrison, Richard Williamson and Rosina C. Tucker, president of the Women’s Economic Council.
RIGHT:
Dec. 1946
A. Phillip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, caught as he tells Virginia Union University students to not retreat an inch in their fight for firstclass citizenship. In this same speech, he warned against communism and lauded John L. Lewis.
LEFT: May 1975
The grand giant of America’s labor movement visits Baltimore in May 1975 for a convention put on by the A. Phillip Randolph Institute. The organization which bears his name is presented with a citation by Marguerite Campbell, aid to Mayor William Donald Schaefer.
In 1925 Randolph began representing members of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters as president. The union was the first of its kind for Black workers and fought hard to improve conditions for the men who provided service for guests traveling via railcars operated by the Pullman Company.
The founder of the Pullman Company, George Pullman, purposely sought to hire the formerly enslaved. He was known for working his porters long hours for little pay. It may have taken more than a decade, but Randolph changed all that.
According to the Chicago History Museum, “In 1935, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters became the first African American union organization to be granted membership into the America Federation of Labor. The Pullman Company agreed to negotiations with the BSCP and in April 1937, after twelve years of resistance, a contractual agreement was finally reached which included an increase in wages and a cap of 240 hours per month.”
And Randolph didn’t stop there. Decades before it materialized, in the early 1940s, he called for a March on Washington after Black soldiers were left out of jobs. And in August 1963 he led the organization of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
Randolph lived to be 90 years old, dying in New York City on May 16, 1979.
April 1941
In 1941 Asa Phillip Randolph puts public pressure on President Franklin Roosevelt after the commander-in-chief’s refusal to end discrimination against Black people working to defend the nation. He publicly calls for thousands to march on Washington. Ultimately, the president bows to the pressure. On June 25, 1941 Roosevelt demanded the defense industry and government agencies stop all discrimination in their employment practices.
Today, the AFRO Archives serve as an extensive record of the battles A. Phillip Randolph and other labor leaders took on to improve life for Black workers and their families. Take a stroll through history with the photos below to better understand the change Randolph made as a champion of civil, human and labor rights.
1958
April 1964
The 16th annual Roosevelt Day
by the
undated photo,
A. Philip Randolph: The organizer
left a blueprint for leaders of
A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, cuts a cake at the organization’s 1950 anniversary dinner, held in N.Y. as the Brotherhood held its 25th convention in the area. The dinner was sponsored by the Dining Car Employees Union. Shown here, B.F. McLaurin (left), Charles Burton from Chicago; Randolph and Ashley Totten.
reckoned with.
forging alliances between union workers and civil rights activists.”
Kimble said “third, Blacks must be vigilant against buying into news sources that allow news to be disseminated without requiring that information be verified for truth and accuracy. The Pullman porters distributed the AFRO and other Black press to tens of thousands of people in the South, many of whom were illiterate. This ensured people knew what was happening to Blacks all along the various routes some would travel during the Great Migration.”
While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is routinely referred to as the father of the modern civil rights movement, Kimble said Randolph deserves that title.
“Randolph was there leading the charge in the ’20s and ’30s and ’40s,” Kimble said. “He introduced Americans to Dr. King during the March on Washington. He laid the foundation for Black organized labor. I would even go so far as to say that if there had never been Randolph at the helm, I doubt that Dr. King would have been as successful as he was.”
the civil rights movement.
“Randolph envisioned the 1963 March—it quite literally was his idea,” Lucander said. “And while he canceled a march planned for 1941, he did three smaller marches in the 1950s. By smaller, I mean 10,000-plus people came out, including leaders like Jackie Robinson and Dr. King. But the media didn’t give it much attention. However, Randolph’s idea that an interest group marches on Washington to express its views is totally normal now, and that traces back to Randolph.”
Still, the question remains: Why isn’t Randolph better known and celebrated within the Black community?
Lucander believes he has an answer.
“Randolph was once a household name for generations of African Americans, but he has fallen out of most people›s consciousness,” Lucander said.
By D. Kevin McNeir Special
to the AFRO
In 1925, labor organizer and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph was invited to be the first president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. It was the first Black union to receive a charter in the American Federation of Labor. Many scholars cite the important role that the Pullman porters played in the early 20th century. The porters provided one of the first viable means by which Black workers could ascend to the middle class.
Now, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Pullman porters, the nation’s premier organization for the study of Black life and history, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), has chosen as its 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor.”
As noted on ASALH’s website, the theme is intended “to encourage broad reflections on intersections between Black people’s work and their workplaces in all their iterations and key moments in Black history and culture.”
For Randolph, who was a member of the Socialist Party, securing economic justice and full and equal rights for Black Americans remained a priority. The Pullman porters often served as the voice of reason and criticism. As unions increased in size and power, many maintained discriminatory practices and policies.
Dr. Lionel Kimble Jr., associate professor of history and Africana studies at Chicago State University, believes Black Americans have yet to recognize the full scope of Randolph’s intellectual prowess and contributions to improving their economic status.
“We tend to underestimate his abilities, his ingenuity and the important role he played throughout the 20th century in our [Black people’s] fight against discrimination in all of its many forms,” Kimble said.
“Randolph often criticized the Black middle class and chose to give his voice and support to the Black working class and their interests.
“He was successful in numerous negotiations on behalf of the Pullman porters because he was not a porter but rather the leader. He did not have to be concerned
“We tend to underestimate his abilities, his ingenuity and the important role he played throughout the 20th century in our fight against discrimination in all of its many forms.”
with supporting views that the white owners held. But it took several efforts before the Pullman porters were formally established because the owners sent out spies who reported back to management. In most cases, Pullman porters who had been identified as leaders of their cause were terminated,” Kimble said.
Pullman porters wore many hats In a collection of essays that chronicles the development of the Black Press, «The African American Newspaper: Voices of Freedom» by Patrick S. Washburn, another historian, Martin Terrell, notes that the Pullman porters not only traveled across America, seeing things that most African Americans could not even imagine or hope to experience, but their wages were higher than those of other workingclass Black workers.
Kimble said the Pullman porters became a force to be
“During the 1930s, a lot of the progressive, leftleaning unions removed themselves from the AFL, but the Brotherhood remained,” Kimble said. “Randolph believed that to effectively fight discrimination, they needed to stay and hold them accountable for the discriminatory practices lodged against Blacks.”
Kimble agrees with Terrell when considering the economic power that the Pullman porters eventually achieved.
“The porters provided access to and the foundation for the development of the Black middle class,” Kimble said. “So, while they were working-class individuals, they could do more in support of their communities because their wages were higher than their contemporaries.”
Randolph would later use his organizing tactics while developing a blueprint for the first March on Washington. The march began to take shape around 1940. It was slated for 1941 but was eventually aborted. However, Randolph secured several concessions from President Franklin D. Roosevelt. These included changes in policies and the expansion of government agencies that secured greater employment opportunities for Black workers.
Lessons we can learn and follow
Kimble said there are at least three lessons that can be taken from Randolph. With only slight revisions, the lessons of the past can be used by today’s grassroots organizations as they continue the decades-old battle against discrimination.
“First, we have to go back to organizing at the community level.The March on Washington was successful because Randolph galvanized people from across the country. They then returned to their own communities, where they continued to advocate for real changes,”
said Kimble.“Second, Blacks should take an unbiased look at organized labor and consider
Lucander took a different perspective in summarizing Randolph’s contributions to
“Part of it is persona—he had a stuffy, formal demeanor, and times have changed. Part of it is politics—he’s a democratic socialist, and this country has a tough time wrapping its head around that concept. And part of it is the times—he’s a union man to the core, and the labor movement isn›t what it used to be.”
Please see answers to the AFRO Trivia on page B11.
3. In 1909 White employees of the __Railroad, represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen, walked off their jobs in protest of lower-paid Black firemen being hired in place of White firemen, who demanded a higher fee. Though it wasn’t their mission, ultimately, the fight started by the White firemen of the company resulted in equal pay for all workers.
5. Christian Smalls is the founder and president of the _ Labor Union. The organization is pulling together workers to collectively fight for better work conditions and pay.
6. A. Phillip Randolph was the first president of the __ of Sleeping Car Porters.
7. This civil rights leader was one of two founders of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute Trade Union. He also served as the organization’s first executive director.
8. This activist used his influence as an entertainer and his education in law from an American Ivy league institution to help create the National Negro Labor Council (NNLC).
10. This pioneer moved to Chicago during the Great Migration and while working in the laundry industry, rallied her co-workers and spearheaded the Laundry Workers Union.
11. Hattie Canty was president of the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 in the 1990s. She was a dedicated labor activist and one of the most influential figures in the _ labor movement.
12. This woman organized a walk-out of employees at the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in N.C. in May of 1947. She was the leader of an integrated union known as Local 22 of the Food, Tobacco, Agricultural and Allied Workers of America-CIO.
DOWN
1. She fought to include Black women in more roles of leadership since they did the “dirtiest jobs” in the country. She also was a member of the Communist party.
2. Baltimore native Isaac Myers served as president of the Colored _ Trade Union, and helped organize the Colored National Labor Union.
4. Mary Mcloed Bethune was the first women president of the American Teacher Union and was appointed director of Negro Affairs for the National Youth Administration by this president.
9. Dorothy Lee Bolden founded and became the first president of the National _ Workers Union of America.
Please see answers to the AFRO Trivia on page B11.
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001569
GLORIA L. AGNEW AKA
GLORIA LOIS AGNEW Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
LANETTA AGNEW, VANESSA AGNEW whose addresses are 4001 MARLBORO PL, NW, DC 20011; 1610 40TH ST. SE, DC 20020 was appointed Personal Representatives of the estate of GLORIA L. AGNEW AKA GLORIA LOIS AGNEW who died on MAY 12, 2022 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 24, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presenTed to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JULY 24, 2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: JANUARY 24, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
LANETTA AGNEW
VANESSA AGNEW Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/25
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001127
RONALD S. JONES Name of Decedent RONIKA R. WOOD PRO SE 5804 ANNAPOLIS ROAD #612 BLADENSBURG, MD 20710 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
RONIKA R. WOOD whose address is 5804 ANNAPOLIS ROAD #612 BLADENSBURG, MD 20710 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of RONALD S. JONES who died on JULY 26, 2017 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 24, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presenTed to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JULY 24, 2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: JANUARY 24, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
RONIKA R. WOOD
Personal Representative
TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/25
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001536
THOMAS L. ATWATER AKA THOMAS LEONARD ATWATER Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
ADRIANNE L ATWATER whose address is 5609 RAMBLEWOOD AVE, CLINTON, MD 20735 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of THOMAS L. ATWATER AKA THOMAS LEONARD ATWATER who died on OCTOBER 10, 2022 with a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 24, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presenTed to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JULY 24, 2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: JANUARY 24, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
ADRIANNE L ATWATER Personal Representative
01/31, 02/07/25
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001545
VAUGHN C. KIMBROUGH, SR. Name of Decedent
JOHNNY M. RIDDICK, ESQUIRE 505 CAPITOL COURT, NE. SUITE 100 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20002 Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
JUDY C. KIMBROUGH whose address is 7303 ALASKA AVENUE, NW. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20012 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of VAUGHN C. KIMBROUGH, SR. who died on JULY 02, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 24, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presenTed to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JULY 24, 2025, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication:
JANUARY 24, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
JUDY C. KIMBROUGH Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/24, 01/31, 02/07/25
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2024ADM001575 GLADYS JEFFERSON Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
ALICIA JEFFERSON, whose address is , 5724 BLAIR ROAD NW WASH. DC 20011 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of GLADYS JEFFERSON who died on NOVEMBER 02, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall en ter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 31, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the un dersigned, on or before JULY 31, 2025 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: JANUARY 31, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION 2018ADM001141
Estate of SAMUEL LEON JEFFERSON, SR Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD
PROBATE (For estates of decedents dying on or after July 1, 1995)
Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by KEMIT MAWAKANA for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representatives. Unless a responsive pleading in the form of a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth.
*in the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution, enter an order determing that the decendent died intestate *appoint an unsupervised personal representitive
Date of first publication: JANUARY 31, 2025
Names of newspapers: Daily Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
IZU I AHAGHOTU, ESQUIRE 3724 12TH STREET NE WASHINGTON, DC 20017
Signature of Petitioner/Attorney
of the
of Wills
02/07/25
ALICIA JEFFERSON Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/25
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION ADMINISTRATION NO. 2025ADM16 JOHN TOBE Name of Decedent Notice of Appointment, Notice to Creditors and Notice to Unknown Heirs
BRENDA H TOBE, whose address is , 1235 DELAWARE AVE SW WASHINGTON, DC 20024 was appointed Personal Representative of the estate of JOHN TOBE who died on JULY 25, 2024 without a Will and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance In this proceeding. Objections to such, appointment shall be filed With the Register of Wills, D.C., Building A, 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor, Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before JULY 31, 2025. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before JULY 31, 2025 or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of first publication: JANUARY 31, 2025 Name of newspaper and/or periodical: Washington Law Reporter AFRO American Newspapers
BRENDA H TOBE Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/31, 02/07, 02/14/25
Effective immediately, The Afro American Newspapers will require
accepted in the form of checks, credit card or money order. Any
CERTIFICATION OF PUBLICATION
CITY OF BALTIMORE
OFFICE OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PUBLIC NOTICE
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - PROJECT NO. 1393R ON-CALL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES
The City of Baltimore Office of Boards and Commissions has been requested by the Department of Recreation and Parks (BCRP), Capital Development and Planning Division, to advertise for Architectural Design Consultants to provide on-call services for the City of Baltimore. The work will include planning, design, preparation of construction documents, and construction administration necessary for the renovations and improvements of various City recreational and aquatic facilities, park buildings and other miscellaneous projects. The City intends to select the services of five (5) consultants.
The Consultant teams are to include, but not be limited to, prequalified Building Architects, Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, Surveyors, Construction Inspectors, Civil, Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, A/V, Lighting, Geotechnical, and Environmental Engineers,. Aquatic Designers having designed a minimum of 5 public, institutional, or commercial pool projects should also be included on the teams.
The consultant firms interested in providing these services must demonstrate the following:
• Experience in the design or renovation of modern recreation and aquatic facilities.
•Familiarity with International Green Construction Code.
•Experience in preparation of reports which include field investigations, feasibility studies and cost estimates.
• Experience in producing presentations and submittals to Clients, Ontractors, the Public, and Jurisdictional Organizations/Officials.
•Experience in providing Construction Administration services.
•Ability to provide manpower for a rapid response to the City’s needs in meeting scheduling requirements.
•Experience in research-based creative strategies for community outreach.
Each contract will be limited to an estimated fee of $4,000,000. The contract duration will be three years with an option to extend for an additional one (1 year term.
BCRP reserves the right to have a second interview with eligible firms.
BCRP encourages consulting firms having the specified experience who have not previously worked with the City of Baltimore, and those who are currently working with the City that have the capacity to deliver the specified work in this scope, to submit their proposals. During presentation, consultants must demonstrate and document their capacity and resources to deliver the required services on time.
Should you have any questions regarding the scope of the Project, please contact Mr. Adam Boarman at 410-396-7948 or email adam.boarman@ baltimorecity.gov.
All City of Baltimore Construction Projects comply with the standard 2006 edition of “The Specifications for Materials, Highways, Bridges, Utilities and Incidental Structures”. City personnel will utilize these specifications for the Performance Evaluation of Design Consultants and Construction Contractors for this contract/project.
Prequalification Requirement
All firms listed in the specific proposal for the Project must be prequalified by the Office of Boards and Commissions for each applicable discipline at time of submittal for this Project. A copy of the prime and sub-consultant’s current Prequalification Certificate should be included in the bid submittal package. Information regarding the prequalification p rocess can b e obtained by calling the Office of Boards and Commissions on 410.396.6883.
Submittal Process
Each consultant responding to this Request for Proposal (RFP Project #1393R is required to complete and submit an original Federal Form 255 unless otherwise specified in this RFP, along with five (5) copies, to the Office of Boards and Commissions on or prior to the due date of April 4, 2025 by NOON. Submittals will not be accepted after this deadline.
The Federal Standard Form (SF 255 cannot be supplemented with ad-
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25001 RECONSTRUCTION OF FOOTWAYS CITYWIDE will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non- refundable cost is SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) to be paid at the Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02601 Portland Cement Concrete Paving. Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $1,000,000.00 to $1,300,000.00 A “Pre- Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on February 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to michael.donovan@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting. Principle Items of work for this project are 5 in concrete sidewalk – 115,000 SF; 5 in Exposed Aggregate Sidewalk – 4,500 SF; 7 in Concrete Pavement– 4,500
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25003 RECONSTRUCTION OF FOOTWAYS CITYWIDE will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025, at 11:00
A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non-refundable cost is SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) to be paid at the Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02601 Portland Cement Concrete Paving. Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $1,000,000.00 to $1,300,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on February 20, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to michael.donovan@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting. Principle Items of
OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25004 RECONSTRUCTION OF ALLEYS CITYWIDE will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. Board of Estimates employees will be stationed at the Security Unit Counter just inside the Holliday Street entrance to City Hall from 10:45 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. every Wednesday to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non- refundable cost is SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) to be paid at the Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02601 Portland Cement Concrete Paving. Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $1,000,000.00 to $1,300,000.00. A “Pre- Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on February 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to michael.donovan@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting. Principle Items of work for this project are Class 1 Excavation – 4,750 CY; 6 Subbase Using Crusher Run – 13,775 SY; 7 in Concrete Pavement– 13,275 SF. The MBE Goal is 11%; The WBE Goal is 8%
APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25007, RESURFACING HIGHWAYS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, NORTHEAST, SECTOR – I will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025 the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 8654423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non-refundable cost is SEVENTY -FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02602 (Bituminous Paving) and D02620(Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk). Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $3,000,000.00 to $4,000,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on FEBRUARY 21, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to uttam.khadka@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting). Principle Items of work for this project are: Superpave Asphalt 12.5MM and 19.0MM and Various Mix 11,200 Tons; Curbs, Curbs & Gutters 4,690 LF; Sidewalk 42,500 SF. The MBE Goal is 21%; The WBE Goal is 9% APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25008, RE SURF ACING HIGHWAYS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, NORTHWEST, SECTOR - II will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non-refundable cost is SEVENTY -FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02602 (Bituminous Paving) and D02620(Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk). Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $3,000,000.00 to $4,000,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on FEBRUARY 21, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to uttam.khadka@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting). Principle Items of work for this project are: Superpave Asphalt 12.5MM and 19.0MM and Various Mix 11,600 Tons; Curbs, Curbs & Gutters 5,100 LF; Sidewalk 32,500 SF. The MBE Goal is 21%; The WBE Goal is 9% APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates
CITY OF BALTIMORE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25009, RESURFACING HIGHWAYS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SOUTHWEST, SECTOR - III will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025, the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 865-4423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non-refundable cost is SEVENTY -FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02602 (Bituminous Paving) and D02620(Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk). Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $3,000,000.00 to $4,000,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on FEBRUARY 21, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to includE your name, company name, phone number and email address to uttam.khadka@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting). Principle Items of work for this project are: Superpave Asphalt 12.5MM and 19.0MM and Various Mix 11,460 Tons; Curbs, Curbs & Gutters 4,350 LF; Sidewalk 41,700 SF. The MBE Goal is 21%; The WBE Goal is 9% APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates
CITY OF BALTIMORE
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NOTICE OF LETTING
Sealed Bids or Proposal for the TR-25010, RESURFACING HIGHWAYS AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, SOUTHEAST, SECTOR - IV will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until MARCH 5, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. to receive Bids. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. The bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. As of FEBRUARY 7, 2025 the Contract Documents may be examined, without charge by contacting Brenda Simmons at brenda.simmons@baltimorecity.gov or (443) 8654423 to arrange for a copy of the bid book labeled “NOT FOR BIDDING PURPOSES” to be emailed to you. Anyone who desires to purchase a bid book to be used for bidding purposes must do so in person and by contacting Brenda Simmons at the email address or phone number above. The non-refundable cost is SEVENTY -FIVE DOLLARS AND NO CENTS ($75.00) Department of Transportation 417 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 made payable to the Director of Finance. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors’ Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call (410) 396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 S. Frederick Street, 4 th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (“JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Categories required for bidding on this project are A02602 (Bituminous Paving) and D02620(Curbs, Gutters & Sidewalk). Cost Qualification Range for this project will be from $3,000,000.00 to $4,000,000.00. A “Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on FEBRUARY 21, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. hosted by the Department of Transportation. All Bidders must email your contact information to include your name, company name, phone number and email address to uttam.khadka@baltimorecity.gov to receive an invite to the Microsoft Team (video conference meeting). Principle Items of work for this project are: Superpave Asphalt 12.5MM and 19.0MM and Various Mix 11,190 Tons; Curbs, Curbs & Gutters 5,600 LF; Sidewalk 38,500 SF. The MBE Goal is 21%; The WBE Goal is 9%. APPROVED: Celeste Amato, Board of Estimates
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC NOTICE
This project is primarily focused on pedestrian/vehicular safety and traffic signal infrastructure reconstruction. The project includes pedestrian improvements including replacement of non-compliant ADA curb ramps, bump outs, enhance crosswalks, traffic signal reconstructions, pavement markings, and signage.
TR19309 &TR25301 DOT Intersection and Traffic Signal (Sector 4)
PUBLIC MEETING
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
6:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Enoch Pratt Free Library Southeast Anchor Branch 3601 Eastern Ave Baltimore, Maryland 21224
If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations, please contact dotengagement@baltimorecity.gov subject line Sector 4 Or call 410-396-6802
Accommodation requests should be received by Wednesday, March 12th, 2025
Receive regular updates via Facebook, “X” formerly known as Twitter at @BmoreCityDOT.
Veronica McBeth, INTERIM DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC NOTICE
This project is primarily focused on pedestrian/vehicular safety and traffic signal infrastructure reconstruction. The project includes pedestrian improvements including replacement of non-compliant ADA curb ramps, bump outs, enhance crosswalks, traffic signal reconstructions, pavement markings, and signage.
TR19309 & TR25301 DOT Intersection and Traffic Signal (Sector 3)
PUBLIC MEETING
Thursday, March 13, 2025 6:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center 201 Reedbird Ave. Baltimore, Maryland 21225
If you have any questions, comments or need special accommodations, please contact dotengagement@baltimorecity.gov subject line Sector 3 Or call 410-396-6802
Accommodation requests should be received by Thursday, March 6th, 2025
Receive regular updates via Facebook, “X” formerly known as Twitter at @BmoreCityDOT. Veronica
This
TR19309
Veronica McBeth, INTERIM DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
