Prompt Cast
The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike: A Forgotten Moment in Atlanta's Labor History
TLDR The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike in the 1880s was a pivotal moment in Atlanta's labor history, as Black working women organized to demand higher pay and more respect. The strike inspired other domestic workers to join the movement and ultimately led to higher wages and increased control over the washing industry in Atlanta.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike was a significant event in Atlanta's history that many people, including the host, had never heard of until they learned about it during a Halloween tour at Oakland Cemetery.
02:26
The Atlanta Washer Woman Strike was a significant event in Atlanta's history that occurred in the 1880s and marked a watershed moment in the history of labor in the city.
04:27
The majority of Black working women in Atlanta in the 1880s were laundresses, who were paid very little for their labor, but managed to support their families through hard work.
06:45
The profession of being a washerwoman provided autonomy for Black women in Atlanta after the Civil War, allowing them to run their own businesses and lives, although the wages were low.
09:18
In the summer of 1881, a group of 20 washerwomen in Atlanta formed a trade organization called the Washing Society to advocate for higher pay and more respect, and within three weeks, they grew to 3,000 members, including white women, before going on strike and facing arrests and fines.
11:51
The washerwomen refused to pay the fines imposed on them and instead wrote a letter to the mayor offering to pay the city's annual fee, causing the city council to back down and stop trying to run them out of business or arrest them.
14:09
The washerwomen's strike inspired other domestic workers to demand higher wages, leading to a larger strike by hotel workers and ultimately resulting in the city council raising wages and giving the washerwomen control of the washing industry in Atlanta.
Categories:
Society & Culture
