On this day in 1943, a violent riot broke out at the Alabama Drydock and Shipbuilding Company in Mobile, Alabama, after twelve Black workers were promoted to welding positions—jobs traditionally held by white workers. The decision, made under federal pressure to desegregate wartime industries, sparked backlash from white employees. Thousands walked off the job, and mobs attacked Black workers, highlighting the racial tensions boiling beneath America’s wartime labor needs. Despite the violence, the event marked a turning point in the fight for equal employment rights in defense industries.
© 2025 KnowThyHistory.com. Know Thy History
