Today is Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day the last American slaves learned they were free. As we celebrate it is important to remember that the abuse, dehumanization, and invisibility that characterized domestic work during the time of slavery persists today. In fact, Black domestic workers are some of the most invisible, essential, and unprotected workers in our country.

For these reasons and many more, we believe that our organizing must be led by and center the lives of Black women. Through our We Dream in Black (WeDiB) program and its Unbossed Agenda, we are committed to shaping the future in a way that lifts up the Black domestic workforce and brings value and respect to our labor and history of our struggle.

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Black domestic workers are essential — to our economy, democracy, and society. They care for our children, our homes, our elderly family members, and our loved ones with disabilities.

Yet, for centuries, the systems that built and fueled America and its wealth thrived on a disregard for, and subjugation of Black women — and domestic workers are inseparable from this history.

It’s why racist leaders excluded Black domestic workers from many of the basic labor protections afforded other workers.

It’s why, before the coronavirus pandemic, Black families were one emergency away from a crisis, having been carved out of a social safety net generations ago.

And it’s why, when the COVID-19 virus hit, domestic workers were the first to lose income and the last to receive support, if at all.

And it’s also why every industry, including the care industry, must stand up and confront the reality that today — more than 150 years after the last of the enslaved Americans learned they had been emancipated — Black people in this country are still not truly free.

We have a vision for a better future — one where everyone is able to live and work safely and with dignity. And that vision pulls on the strength and power of Black domestic workers, past and present.

From enslaved women’s daily forms of resistance to the coordinated strikes of washer women in the late 19th-century to organizing initiatives pioneered by 20th-century domestic workers, there is a long and powerful tradition of Black domestic workers organizing to secure justice and dignity – in the workplace and in the broader society.

We honor these legacies by centering the voices and leadership of Black women...because Black women are who the domestic care industry was built to exploit. The Unbossed Agenda is WeDiB’s organizing directive to give power back to the visions of Black domestic workers and to root out the legacy of slavery from the domestic work industry, improving the lives of millions of domestic workers across the nation.

Because, If we can solve for Black domestic workers, we can create an economy and society that works for everyone.

A better future is possible, one in which Black people experience abundant joy, safety, and well-being. And we all have a role to play in building the future everyone deserves. Get started by learning more about our Unbossed Agenda and by investing in Black domestic workers.

UNBOSSSED AGENDA →

Thanks for all that you do,

Allison Julien
New York Chapter We Dream in Black Co-Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance