The Black Workers For Justice grew out of the 1981 struggle of three Black women workers, Mildred Davis, Christine Smith and Luvenia Cooper, against retaliation and discrimination at a K-Mart department store in Rocky Mount, NC. It was from this foundation of fightback that the organization that became BWFJ established as a central pillar recognizing the triple oppression and exploitation of Black women workers: as women, as workers and as Black people. This includes the full participation, development and leadership of women in the labor movement and the Black Liberation Movement as well as sisters’ rights and responsibilities to participate in the planning, maintaining, organizing, education campaigns and leadership within our organization. When BWFJ wrote “Where We Stand”, our creed and program of BWFJ, we made sure to include a point on the equality of sexes and against sexism.
On Saturday, August 31, 2019 more than 100
activists from across North Carolina —
especially from the eastern area — marched in
Greenville to condemn the policies and
direction of the Trump administration and in
solidarity with the four newly elected congress-
women (2018) under attack by the Trump regime.
In a statement published by the organizers in the
weeks preceding the march and rally, the
reasons for the call to action were outlined, “The
Sexual Predator on Pennsylvania Avenue in his
recent vicious attacks on “The Squad”: Ilhan
Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Alexandria Ocasio-
Cortez, and Rashida Tlaib, told these women of
color to ‘go back to their crime-infested
countries’ . All of these women are American
citizens. All of these women are proud of their
heritage and work for their respective communities. All of these women are being attacked because they fight for the working class, challenge white supremacy and patriarchy and because they are women. They dare to be women who have political convictions around their support of Palestine, their support of Venezuela, and their denunciation of border camps.”
Greenville, North Carolina was also the site for a Trump
Campaign Rally in July this year where screaming Trump
supporters yelled “send her back”, specifically targeting
Ilhan Omar, a Somali native and American citizen newly
elected to Congress along with hundreds of others in the
2018 Congressional election.
The Call for the March and Rally also commemorated the historic lynching of 14 year old Emmett Till who was murdered by white supremacists in Money, Mississippi on August 28, 1955. Emmett Till’s heinous and vicious murder was a catalyst for the emerging civil rights movement of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.
The solidarity march and rally was organized by a
coalition of activists and organizations in North
Carolina including the Black Workers for Justice
Women’s Commission; the Greenville NC Coalition
Against Racism; the Racial Justice Group, Rocky
Mount, NC; the Spirit House of Durham, NC; Muslims
for Social Justice; Compeneras Compesinas of
Raleigh, NC; Action NC Rage; the North Carolina
Black Women’s Roundtable; Movement to End
Racism and Islamophobia; and many others.
More than 70 women of color, leaders, and activists
nation-wide signed on and endorsed the Call to
Action, March, and Rally.
For more information, questions, or comments email: bwfjwc@gmail.com or call (919) 749–1692
May 19 marks the 91st anniversary of the birth of Malcolm X, the great 20th Century leader of the African American struggle for freedom, justice and equality; for self-determination and liberation. His assassination in 1965, at the hands of those working in the interest of white supremacy, capitalism and imperialism, marked a horrible chapter in our history of struggle and the beginning of the modern Black Power Movement.
The Black Workers for Justice is deeply saddened at the transition of Mrs. Ruby Mayo. She was our oldest member and an inspiration to all. She is the mother of Nathanette Mayo a BWFJ leader, grandmother of Angaza Samora, BWFJ youth leader, and mother-in-law of founder and leader Angaza Laughinghouse. A tribute prepared by Angaza:
DEAR FAMILY, FRIENDS, “BLACK WORKERS FOR JUSTICE”(BWFJ) members and fellow freedom fighters,
It is with much sorrow, I announce that our Mother Ruby Mayo transitioned to join our ” freedom fighter” ancestors. She passed away yesterday… Saturday morning…after a long illness. With her strong, purposeful and independent spirit,” she fought for life to the end of her 94 years…..not just her own life, but for her community, our people and all working people lives”. Continue reading →
Not widely known outside of South Carolina, Charleston labor leader Mary Moultrie passed on April 27. Mrs. Moultrie made significant contributions to the workers struggle in Charleston starting with her leadership of the 1969 strike of hospital workers. Her work reveals both the connection of the civil rights movement to the labor movement and the too often hidden role of women’s leadership. Oral historian and Labor activist Kieran Taylor provides a brief look at this Black working class hero and shares resources about the strike and the life of this remarkable women.
The BWFJ is an organization of Black workers formed in December of 1982 out of a struggle led by Black women workers at a K-mart store in Rocky Mount, North Carolina against race and gender discrimination. After organizing a boycott of the local K-mart store and reaching out to workers at other workplaces and communities, Black workers and community activists from 10 counties met at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Fremont, NC in December 1982 to form BWFJ as a statewide organization.
