“OUR SEAT AT THE TABLE”

Since it’s inception in the 1920’s, African Americans have actively participated in the leadership of SEIU. This participation has been female and male, and has come from every region of the United States.

Many will point to the SEIU Convention of 1996 as the high water mark of African American accent into leadership. In fact, delegates at the ’96 Convention elected the largest number of African American Executive Board members in the history of SEIU.  Several factors contributed to this, including the political change within SEIU, the inclusiveness of the New Unity Team, and the formation of AFRAM.

An often overlooked factor was the shoulders upon which we were standing, those whose hard work and sometimes financial sacrifices under girded our accent to leadership. Some whose names you might not know, whose contributions are forgotten and whose sacrifices are under valued.

Did you know C. Lindsay, S. Miller and Albert Jackson were SEIU leaders in 1920’s?  Did you know Cecil Ward who rose to leadership in 32BJ; How about Peter Ottley and Frank McKinney from local 144; Ever heard of Arleen Neal from Washington, DC ; or Ophelia McFadden and Gloria Mattingly from Los Angeles?  Did you know Wil Smith from Virginia, Herman Lewis of Georgia or Bill Stodghill from Detroit?  

These leaders and unnamed other rank and file activist opened a seat for  Patricia A. Ford, John Johnson, Jerry Hudson , Damita Davis Howard, George Gresham, Willie Hampton, Tyrone Freeman, Dian Palmer, Rock Muhammad, Byron Hobbs, Jarvis Williams, Kyle Bragg, Robert Moore, Veronica Turner-Biggs, Valerie Long, Jesse Smith, Stella Williams, Rickman Jackson and Me.

Our obligation is to use those seats to improve the lives of working people by organizing the unorganized, fighting for justice in our communities, our worksites and our union. We also must identify, prepare, and support the next generation of leaders and give them the knowledge and courage not to sit at the table in silence.