Speech:

Address to the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department Conference

Speaker:

Lyndon B. Johnson

1961 - 1980 / Civil Rights and Labor Justice
Lyndon Baines Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in the middle of the Hill Country in Stonewall, Texas. Johnson’s father, Sam Ealy Johnson Jr., was an elected representative in the Texas legislature, fashioning himself as a populist and “man of the people.” LBJ’s mother, Rebekah Baines Johnson, was the highly-educated daughter of an attorney.…  Read more.
Speech:

Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Speaker:

John Brademas

1961 - 1980 / Disability Rights and Labor Justice
The first time John Brademas ran for Congress, he lost. When he tried the second time, he lost again. It was not until his third bid in 1958 that he was elected as a Democrat representing the Third Congressional District of Indiana. In the House of Representatives, Brademas earned a reputation for being “one of…  Read more.
Speech:

Speech at the National Press Club

Speaker:

César Chávez

1961 - 1980 / Labor Justice and Social Justice
César Estrada Chávez was born near Yuma, Arizona on March 31, 1927, to Mexican-American parents, Librado Chávez and Juana Estrada Chávez. César’s mother was “a person of great faith” who modeled self-sacrifice and the necessity of helping others. Chávez’s father, Librado, owned a store and pool hall until debt and the Depression forced him to…  Read more.
Speech:

Speech at Graham Memorial Chapel

Speaker:

César Chávez

1961 - 1980 / Labor Justice
César Estrada Chávez was born in Arizona’s North Gila Valley on March 21, 1927. Chávez was the son of farmworkers, Librado and Juana, and spent much of his youth working in the fields after the loss of the beloved family farm. Following the harvest from Arizona to California, Chávez was exposed to the harsh conditions…  Read more.
Speech:

Speech by Samuel Gompers on World War I

Speaker:

Samuel Gompers

1900 - 1940 / Labor Justice and National Security
Samuel Gompers was a founding member and the first president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). He served as president of the AFL for nearly 40 years, beginning December 8, 1886 and ending when he died on December 13, 1924. Gompers is often regarded as one of the most important leaders in U.S. labor…  Read more.
Speech:

Legislative Conference, Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW)

Speaker:

George Meany

1961 - 1980 / Labor Justice
Former plumber from the Bronx, George Meany (1894 - 1980) became president of the New York State Federation of Labor in 1934. In one year alone, he helped pass over 72 pro-labor bills in Congress. Elected president of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in 1952 after the death of William Green, Meany merged the…  Read more.
Speech:

Stop the Hate

Speaker:

Nancy Wohlforth

1981 - 2000 / Labor Justice and LGBTQ+ Activism
Nancy F. Wohlforth (1945 - present)—a union leader and labor activist—was known for her fierce commitment to social justice issues. She was especially known for her work to secure fair treatment of labor rights for gays and lesbians. Her upbringing was influenced by socialist parents whose lives were affected greatly by the insecurity of the…  Read more.
Paul Robeson
Speech:

Forge Negro-Labor and Unity for Peace

Speaker:

Paul Robeson

1941 - 1960 / Labor Justice and Race Equity
A renowned singer, athlete, actor, and activist, Paul Robeson was perhaps one of the most prominent African American public figures from the 1920s to the 1950s. Born on April 9, 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey, Robeson displayed prodigious academic and athletic talent early in his childhood. Enrolling at Rutgers University at the age of 17,…  Read more.