On September 14th, 1929, Ella May drove into Gastonia from Bessemer City with a group of fellow union organizers, planning on singing at a rally in support of strikers at Loray Mill. Before they could reach their destination, however, a mob of armed anti-union men intercepted them and ran May’s truck off the road. The mob then opened fire on the truck, hitting May, who exclaimed “Oh Lord, they’ve killed me” and died. May’s killers would later walk free.

The North Carolina State AFL-CIO produced and unveiled this exhibit at its 60th Annual Convention in September 2017 and is making it available to libraries, museums, union halls, and other public spaces so people today can learn about the struggles and victories their fellow North Carolinians encountered on the road to secure our freedom to join together in the workplace for a better life.

February is Black History Month, and we’ve pulled together profiles by the AFL-CIO on several pioneering African Americans labor leaders as well as a list of resources courtesy of the American Labor Studies Center.

You’ve gotta know where you’re coming from to know where you’re going!

Scott Hoyman’s career was dedicated to organizing textile workers in the South, including the J.P. Stevens boycott.