Data show Black workers who reside in the southern US tend to earn less than Black workers in other regions of the country. Although advancing worker power and unionization could potentially improve workers’ opportunities for upward mobility, the unionization rate is the lowest in the South, where more than half the Black US population lives.

This project will explore how unions and worker power can overcome these challenges. A collaborative of researchers, including four Historically Black Colleges and Universities and one Hispanic Serving Institution, will lead an in-depth study of worker organizing by Black workers in five sites across the South. The research teams will produce case studies from survey results and community interviews and engagements. In addition, the collaborative will deliver analyses from survey data comparing experiences across sites and similar organizing surveys. Findings from this project will yield richer detail on the experiences of Black workers in the South and could translate to more impactful organizing efforts in the future.