On April 21, 1892, Black longshoremen in St. Louis, Missouri, organized a labor strike demanding higher wages and better working conditions. At the time, Black workers made up the majority of the city’s waterfront labor force but were paid significantly less than their white counterparts for the same physically demanding jobs. The strike represented a bold challenge to both economic exploitation and racial discrimination during an era when labor unions often excluded Black workers. Though the immediate gains were limited, the strike helped lay the foundation for future labor organizing among African Americans and highlighted the intersection of racial justice and workers’ rights in the late 19th century.
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