5 Black Leaders that Shaped the Labor Movement

By: National Education Association

Published: January 26, 2023

These Black leaders had strong visions for the future of the labor movement, uniting broad coalitions for racial justice, worker rights, and the welfare of all.

1. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) 

2. A. Philip Randolph (1889-1979)

3. Bayard Rustin (1912-1987)

4. Hattie Canty (1933-2012)

5. Chris Smalls (1988- )

For the full story on these community leaders, click here.

“We are all one. And if we don’t know it, we will learn it the hard way.”

- Bayard Rustin