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This is a group photograph of the directors of the Tobacco Trade Union based in Petersburg, Virginia. It is part of a large collection of photographs showcasing achievements by African Americans, which was displayed at the 1900 Paris Exhibition.
The photographs were assembled by early civil rights leader W.E.B. Dubois and were meant to dispel stereotypes about Black Americans by depicting success stories from business, education and various professions such as medicine. In later posts, I will be showcasing some of the photos from this vast collection.
This photo, one of several hundred comprising this remarkable collection, shows the officers of a trade union, or as it is now more commonly known, a labor union representing African American workers in the tobacco industry including farm workers and people involved in the curing and processing. At the time, these occupations were predominantly carried out by African Americans and tended to be low-paid and labor-intensive, since the plant leaves were harvested by hand and not machines.
Regrettably, the photo was damaged before it was scanned and no better copy exists. The people in the photo are unidentified.
It is worth noting that some of the people in the photo appear to be at least in their forties, which means that they would have been born during slavery. At the time the photo was taken, there had been progress in the area of civil rights but much still remained, and still remains unfinished. In 1900, discriminatory housing and employment practices towards African Americans were the norm throughout much of the United States.
On top of it all, labor unions in general were seen as dangerous to American corporate profits and were often brutally suppressed. I imagine, given the state of race relations at the time, that a union run by African Americans on behalf of African American agricultural workers would have faced even greater challenges.
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generated on 2021-05-19T04:28:41+00:00
