WASHINGTON (March 27, 2019) – The Howard University Department of Economics is celebrating Women’s History Month by commemorating the hundreds of Black women who bravely fought for decent wages and better working conditions in Charleston, South Carolina in 1969. Human Dignity: The Charleston Hospital Strike Remembered 50 Years Later will take place Friday, March 29, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies. 

Jevay Grooms, Ph.D., Howard University assistant professor of economics will moderate a discussion on the significance of the strike, featuring one of the original labor picketers, from 1969, and Black women who are currently leading the labor movement. Jewell C. Debnam, Ph.D., assistant professor of History at Morgan State University, will join the conversation to provide scholarly observations. 

The 400 women involved in the progressive movement brought together the Civil Rights Community under the banner of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Mrs. Coretta Scott King spearheaded the labor movement, alongside Walter Reuther of the United Auto Workers and Leon Davis of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)’s Local 1199.

A reception will immediately follow the discussion, inside the lobby of the Ralph J. Bunche Center. Financial support for Human Dignity: The Charleston Hospital Strike Remembered 50 Years Laterevent is provided by SEIU. This event is free and open to the Howard campus community. For more information, contact Gail Pritchett, gpritchett@howard.edu.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue studies in more than 120 areas leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced four Rhodes Scholars, 11 Truman Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, one Schwarzman Scholar, over 70 Fulbright Scholars and 22 Pickering Fellows. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.