December 21

The Colored National Labor Union (CNLU) was founded on December 21, 1869, in Washington, D.C., as a pioneering effort to advocate for the labor rights of African American workers in the aftermath of the Civil War. At a time when newly freed Black citizens were entering the American workforce amid hostile social and economic conditions, the CNLU emerged as a vital institution fighting for economic justice, racial equality, and labor inclusion.

Spearheaded by Isaac Myers, a Black ship caulker and labor organizer, the organization sought to unite African American laborers, artisans, and professionals in a collective effort to improve wages, working conditions, and access to skilled trades.

The founding of the CNLU was in direct response to the exclusion of Black workers from the predominantly white National Labor Union (NLU). While the NLU advocated for labor reforms, it largely ignored or outright rejected the inclusion of Black workers, viewing racial solidarity as secondary to class interests. The CNLU, by contrast, recognized that race and labor were deeply intertwined in post-emancipation America and made racial uplift and labor empowerment inseparable parts of its mission. It became the first national labor organization in the United States created specifically to address the needs of Black workers.

Under Myers’ leadership, the CNLU focused on a broad agenda that included vocational training, cooperative business ownership, land acquisition, and legal protections for Black laborers. It advocated for universal education, fair wages, and the enforcement of civil rights for African Americans, while also promoting the creation of Black-owned businesses and labor cooperatives as a means of economic independence. In doing so, the CNLU not only fought for the inclusion of Black workers in the labor movement but also planted the seeds for Black economic empowerment through self-determination.

The CNLU also engaged in political activism, sending petitions to Congress and appealing to federal lawmakers for support in enforcing Reconstruction-era protections for African Americans. It supported the creation of the Freedman’s Bank and sought federal aid for cooperative enterprises. Though it existed during a time of fierce resistance from white labor unions and employers alike, the CNLU boldly demanded full citizenship and labor rights, asserting that Black workers deserved not only freedom from slavery but also equal opportunity in America’s economic life.

Despite its ambitious goals, the Colored National Labor Union faced significant obstacles. Internal divisions, lack of consistent funding, and the relentless rise of racial segregation in the 1870s weakened its influence. Additionally, the rollback of Reconstruction policies and the waning of federal support for Black rights led to a decline in its national reach. By the mid-1870s, the CNLU had largely dissolved, but its legacy endured in the form of later Black labor organizing and civil rights activism.

The Colored National Labor Union’s contributions to American business and culture are foundational, though often overlooked. It challenged the norms of exclusion in both the labor and economic systems and offered a blueprint for how Black Americans could fight for justice through collective action and self-reliance. As one of the first national platforms for African American economic advocacy, the CNLU laid the groundwork for future generations of labor and civil rights movements, demonstrating the power of unity and the ongoing fight for dignity in work and life.