A 14 minute short designed for high school and up to explore Texas labor history and the leadership of African American women in Nacogdoches. The film features 3 high school students and a cultural worker. Encourages students to be involved in collective action and organizing around issues of concern.
The 1987 march on Nacogdoches was the result of the Annie Mae Carpenter race and gender discrimination lawsuit initiated by the NAACP ten years earlier. Finding that the University and the courts were unresponsive, workers organized a march of more than 3,000 people – labor unionists, civil rights and women’s activists. The march led to a union contract, continuing union representation, and the payment of back wages. While the uprising in Nacogdoches is largely unknown, Texas historian Ruthe Winegarten described it as an epiphany for African American women in Texas.
Lewis explores the event, using the methods of oral history and exploring the relationship of these stories to contemporary ideas and events. To view film or link to educational website click here.
