Today in Labor History March 28, 1977: AFSCME Local 1644 struck in Atlanta, Georgia, for a pay raise. This local of mostly African American sanitation workers saw labor and civil rights as part of the same struggle. They saw their fight as a continuation of the 1968 Memphis sanitation strike. For several years, they organized to get black civil rights leaders elected to public office. They succeeded in getting their man, Maynard Jackson, elected mayor of Atlanta. After all, as vice mayor, Jackson had supported their 1970 strike. Yet, in his first three years as mayor, he refused to give them a single raise. Consequently, their wages dropped below the poverty line for a family of four. Jackson accused AFSCME of attacking Black Power by challenging his authority. He fired over 900 workers by April 1 and crushed the strike by the end of April. Many believe this set the precedent for Reagan’s mass firing of 11,000 air traffic controllers during the PATCO strike, in 1981.
'i declare support for the palestinian struggle to liberate their homeland.' - so spaketh birthday boy, muhammad ali, when he visited lebanon in 1974. eartha kitt, another phenomenal human being with a good & bold heart, was also born on 17 january (in 1927). i needed to draw them - being absolutely fucking fierce - together. they did meet & they bonded over their disgust with the US gov's war on #vietnam. #art#illustration#muhammadAli#earthaKitt#palestine#politics#music#film#blackPower
Today in Labor History October 18, 1968: the Olympic committee attempted to strip American Olympic track medalists John Carlos & Tommie Smith of their awards for giving the "black power" salute on October 16th at the México City Olympics.
Today in Labor History October 16, 1968: Riots broke out in Kingston, Jamaica when the government banned Guyanese university lecturer Dr. Walter Rodney from returning to his teaching position at the University of the West Indies. Rodney, was a socialist, active in the Black power movement, who worked with the poor of Jamaica in an attempt to raise their political and cultural consciousness.
Today in Labor History October 16, 1Today in Labor History October 16, 1968: Tommie Smith and John Carlos were ejected from the US Olympic team for participating in the Olympics Black Power salute.68: Tommie Smith and John Carlos were ejected from the US Olympic team for participating in the Olympics Black Power salute.
Mutulu Shakur began his transition on July 7, 2023. A New Afrikan movement veteran, member of the Black Liberation Army, and stepfather of Tupac Shakur. He spent 36 years behind bars as a political prisoner/prisoner of war and was only released late last year.
What I like about this photo of a #female shipyard worker during WW2, by Dorothea Lange, is:
firstly its a reminder that #women of colour played a major role on the home front in WW2;
but secondly, I just love the (intended?/accidental?) #blackpower message of the wall slogan 'Serve Yourself' prominently behind her.... not least because of the use of the idea of 'service' in wartime messaging!
#NinaSimone (born Tryon, NC) rose to fame as a singer, songwriter, and pianist. She was an integral part of the #CivilRights movement of the 1960s, which became #BlackPower in '68.
"To be young, gifted and black" was written in memory of playwright Lorraine Hansberry, the first Black woman to have a play performed on Broadway, and friend of Nina's; Lorraine died aged just 35.