Critical Social Inquiry 0228 - African American Labor Movements: A History of Essential Workers

In April of 2022, Christian Smalls led a group of Amazon workers in a successful campaign to win union recognition. This historic union battle represents the enormous challenges facing "essential workers" and the creative strategies workers deploy to build power in their workplaces. This course will examine the lived experiences, work cultures and organizing strategies of African American workers whose stories provide critical glimpses into the history of essential workers. Readings, films, interviews and historical newspaper sources will allow us to explore a range of sites, both rural and urban, as well as a range of categories, including workers in private households, steel, tobacco, automobile factories, and cotton and rice fields. This range of labor struggles will provide an understanding of what has been at stake for African American workers from Reconstruction through much of the late 20th century. By extending our exploration over the course of the twentieth century, we can examine organizing traditions in depth and consider their long-term impact on African-American political activism and contemporary labor struggles. Keywords:African American history, labor history, social movements

In/Justice Students should expect to spend 8 hours weekly on work and preparation outside of class time The content of this course deals with issues of Race and Power. Library Materials: Media equipment to stream digital video and use power point. Books: Title:To Joy My Freedom Author:Tara Hunter Title:Black Workers Remember Author:Ed. Michael Honey Title:Hammer and Hoe Author:Robin Kelley