The month of February is Black History Month–an annual celebration of the incredible contributions of African American leaders and pioneers who did so much to advance civil rights and expand opportunities for generations of workers.
Black History Month dates to 1926, when historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans dedicated the second week in February as “Negro History Week” to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In 1976, the celebration was officially recognized and expanded by President Gerald Ford and every U.S. president since then has celebrated Black History Month during the month of February.
During Black History Month, we will pay tribute to civil rights and labor leaders and other prominent individuals in the African American community for all they have done to advance equality and justice. We will honor and remember the past and how far we have come, and highlight those who are actively fighting for civil, human, and labor rights to ensure a better life for all. The International’s Black History Month program will return in hybrid form with an in-person/digital format. The program will take place on Monday, Feb. 12, and will revolve around the theme “Black Life: Labor History and Culture.”
During the program, Dr. Marcia Walker-McWilliams of Tulane University will address the critical civil rights history of the UFCW through the specific lens of Charlie Hayes and Addie Wyatt, two African American labor leaders who championed civil rights in the UFCW and predecessor unions. She will explore their paths to labor leadership and how they merged civil rights activism with labor organizing to build a larger, stronger, and more diverse labor movement. She will then participate in a panel with past and rising UFCW leaders, including Willie Baker and Latoya Mathis, who will talk about their individual paths within the UFCW.
Please visit our website and social media platforms throughout February to find the latest information about the annual program, additional events, and programming for the month. If your local has a member activist you would like to profile during Black History Month, please contact Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.