This episode of Black Work Talk is the first of two covering the discussion held at the Labor Notes conference on June 17, 2022 titled “Black Labor Struggles Over Time: An Intergenerational Panel.” The panel moderators were Toussaint Losier of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Bianca Cunningham of the Action Center on Race and the Economy. 

Panelists included Jerome Scott, a long time organizer in the struggle for Black freedom and worker rights; Susan DeCarava of the NewsGuild of New York; Chris Smalls of the Amazon Labor Union; and Stacy Davis Gates of the Chicago Teachers Union. 

This episode focuses on the opening question for the panelists: What are the key challenges facing Black workers today and what should we do about it?

The second episode will feature the Q & A with the audience and cover the question: What does it mean to support Black worker organizing at this moment in time?