African American Women in Labor Unions Black, Brave and Bold Essay

African American Women in Labor Unions Black, Brave and Bold - Essay Example Black women operated in American workforce and labor movements throughout the span of the mid nineteenth to mid-twentieth century.During this time,America was not a place where people of color were treated fairly, which was more evident in the south. However, this was also the span of time that marked the emancipation of slaves through the Thirteenth Amendment, which caused a mass migration of African Americans into the northern parts of America. Blacks had a better opportunity, though immensely unequal to that of whites, to minutely progress in status due to many laws and stipulations placed upon them because of their skin tone.Black women operated in American workforce and labor movements throughout the span of the mid nineteenth to mid-twentieth century. During this time, America was not a place where people of color, particularly African Americans, were treated fairly, which was more evident in the south. This prospect was more probable in the North.Moreover, during this time, wo men in general were not viewed positively. In fact, women were also emancipated from the bondage of not being able to vote, just as blacks through the Nineteenth Amendment. Therefore, to be an African American female laborer in American society in this time period was accompanied with many trials and tribulations.Since there were two strikes (being a black female) of African American women in the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth century, this study will investigate a few cases that showcase the strength of the black woman worker during this time. This study will compare and contrast the success of the various examples and explain how each one glorifies Marxists views. Marxist thinking caused black women of that era to stand for equality in the workplace. A synopsis of each case will be given and will explain how they relate to Marxist ideas. The study will be divided into empirical and theoretical questions that exist in Marxist ideologies. It will answer the question whether or not there is evidence that forms of society exist only for as long as they advance productive power, and are replaced by revolution. The theoretical question is whether there are sufficient evidences to support Marxist functional explanations. 1. Karl Marx (1813-1883) Karl Marx is a philosopher but is popularly known for his works as a revolutionary communist that inspired the foundation of many communist regimes in the 20th century. He has many philosophical ideas on other subjects, but this study will dwell on the political economic policy of Karl Marx that deals on the economic inequalities. He rejects the assumption that economic inequalities do not affect political equalities but focuses on the inequalities of neither individuals nor citizens but by the entire class. For Marx, the most fundamentally problematic inequality is that between those who own the means of economic production and those who do not. That some are rich and others poor is of concern, but this is only symptomatic of the former, deeper inequality. (Stamford Science Encyclopedia) Marx points out also to the inequality of sexes that is no longer economic in nature, but still forms a basis of capitalist political economic system. In a capitalist political economy, Marx contends that the economy, institutions of society and structure of society are controlled by the capitalist class and become basis for legitimacy. He said that the " ideologies of liberal democracy only serve to legitimate what is in fact a system of freedom and democracy only for some. The political equality emphasized by liberals is but a veil for the economic inequality that is so fundamental to a capitalist society and so detrimental to human freedom." (Source) As for other thinkers, equality is not an end in itself for Marx. Instead, equality in ownership and control of the means of production is a necessary prerequisite for freedom. 2. Other dedicated source synopsis 2.1 "We are all leaders". This is a kind of unionism that existed in 1930s. Staughton Lynd describes it as different from the bureaucratic business unions today. This was inspired by women nut pickers in St. Louis