Friday Nite Videos | May 22, 2026
Portside
Nearly every Black resident in Montgomery refused to ride city buses. They walked, biked, took taxis, carpooled, and even rode mules for 382 days.
Though the unions held themselves up as civil rights advocates, white workers often saw their black counterparts as a threat because they competed for the same jobs. In response, black workers formed coalitions to change unions from within. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, for example, was founded in 1972. One union stood out when it came to opportunity and access for black workers: the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters with its significant black membership.
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