No More Cousin Toms

“The sentiment of organized labor in the country is decidedly in favor of maintaining and encouraging the recognition of equality between colored and white workers….”

“…to the union of the trade belongs absolute jurisdiction on all matters connected with the trade.”

“…if the colored man continues to lend himself to the work of tearing down what the white man has built up, a race hatred far worse than any ever known will result. Caucasian civilization will serve notice that its uplifting process is not to be interfered with in any way.”

The same man, Samuel Gompers, wrote all three of those statements. Gompers, the AFL’s founder,...