The contributions of black members to the success of the Teamsters Union are numerous, varied and as old as the union itself. This month, the Teamsters Union spotlights some of those contributions.
Black History is Teamster History
Ellison, Local 120 Join Together to Honor Waste Workers
Fifty years ago today, Memphis sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker were killed while working on neglected machines that were known to be unsafe. Their deaths sparked the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike.
Teamsters Celebrate Black History Month
February marks Black History Month, a time to reflect upon and celebrate the contributions black Americans have made to society. It’s also a time to remember the importance of the labor movement to black history.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture
The Smithsonian Institution’s 19th and newest museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), officially opened to the public on Sept. 24, 2016, in Washington, D.C.
The “Hidden” Women of NASA
The movie “Hidden Figures,” released in Fall 2016, is based on Hidden Figures: The Story of the African-American Women Who Helped Win the Space Race, a 2016 non-fiction book written by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie takes an in-depth look at a team of black National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) female mathematicians who were the behind the scenes “computers” for the 1962 mission.
Joe Nero: Proud Teamster & Community Leader
As a black worker, Joe Nero faced challenges his white co-workers did not face. In 1941, he became a member of Teamsters Local 272 and became very active in the union and the community.
Teamsters and the Red Ball Express
During World War II, many of the dedicated soldiers and sailors serving in the the U.S. Armed Forces were African-American. Among the most famous were those who served on the Red Ball Express.
From the Wedding Chapel to the Courthouse: The Lovings Win Racial Justice
The movie Loving, released in the Fall of 2016, is based on the real-life story of Virginians Richard Loving, a white man, and Mildred Jeter, a black and Native American woman, who sought to marry.
Gideon Parham: Black Trade Unionist and Teamster Leader
Gideon Parham became a leading figure in the Southern Conference of Teamsters (SCT), helping pave the way for more black involvement in the union.
