When will National Black Women’s Labor Day be celebrated? April 5th of each calendar year.
What is National Black Women’s Labor Day? National Black Women’s Labor Day recognizes the 600,000 World War II African American “Rosie the Riveters.” During the war, Black women fled oppressive lives as domestics and sharecroppers to work in factories, shipyards and U.S. Government offices for the first time. Their collective efforts played a pivotal role in securing victory during the war, challenging racial and gender norms, and injecting significant economic vitality into their communities. The unwavering spirit and pioneering achievements of these Black women created opportunities that reverberate through subsequent generations of African American women. Arguably, they are the most significant group of African American women, post-enslavement.
How should National Black Women’s Labor Day be celebrated or observed? In December 2020, the U.S. Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the World War II “Rosie the Riveters.” Notably, one of the images on the Medal represents a Black woman, reaffirming their significant role in American and global history.
National Black Women’s Labor Day provides an opportunity to honor the foremothers and descendants of African American Rosies in today’s workforce. It encourages reflection on the emotional, physical, and psychological sacrifices made by the 600,000 women to pave the way for improved lives for all Black women and their families. Although significant progress has been made in labor rights, numerous challenges, including sexual harassment, maternity leave, limited promotions, and wage disparities, continue to unfairly impact Black women in the workplace. We should all take a moment to acknowledge the legacy of the 600,000 Black Rosies who cleared the path to greater opportunities for all American women.
Why was National Black Women’s Labor Day created? National Black Women’s Labor Day honors the memories and legacies of all women of African descent who have worked, often as enslaved individuals, across a diverse range of positions and occupations during more than four centuries in America. Special recognition should be given to the 600,000 Black Rosies who represent a major turning point in the employment prospects and opportunities for all Black women.
For instance, both Ethel Rebecca “Becky” Jones-Cooke (1925-2006) and Ruth Naomi Showell-Wilson (b. April 5, 1922) represent the range of employment opportunities that became available to Black women as a result of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 8802. They have become the icons of the “new” African American woman, an integral part of the “Greatest Generation.”
When Cooke was just 18 years old and a recent graduate of Lucy Addison High School in Roanoke, VA., she rode on her suitcase from Norfolk, Virginia to Washington D.C. to get her first job as a clerk typist in the U.S. Patent Office. She was one of thousands of Black women who came to Washington to help keep the Government running. While federal employment created thousands of employment opportunities for Black women, racial and gender discrimination limited promotions to higher pay grades. And still they rose!
Today, Ruth Wilson, a star in the critically acclaimed documentary Invisible Warriors: African American Women in World War II, is the face of “Victory,” the documentary’s branding image. Prior to the war, Wilson was a domestic servant in Haddonfield, New Jersey and Philadelphia. When the war came, she courageously embraced new opportunities, completed training at Bok Technical School, to secure her job as a sheet metal worker in the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Wilson proudly helped build the aircraft carrier, USS Valley Forge.
Who created this day? This day was created by Basil and Becky Educational Foundation in 2023.