Labor History: Biography of Important People

Explain Terms
Name
Course
Institution
Date
1) A. Philip Randolph
Philip Randolph supported “The March on Washington” as part of efforts to promote civil rights for all, especially African Americans who still suffered discrimination. The march was a large-scale protest in the nation’s capital that drew attention to the problem of lack of jobs and freedom for blacks in the US. Randolph was both a trade unionist and civil rights activist and as part of those who supported the March movement to end all forms of segregation and Jim Crow laws. This required enacting civil rights legislation as there was still discrimination that made it difficult for blacks to make progress and find meaningful jobs. As supporters of the mass demonstration and movement focused on the abolition of segregation and discrimination this meant eradicating the discriminatory laws and policies that restricted African American rights and freedoms.Civil rights movement and demonstration and protested racial discrimination and supporting major civil rights legislation. Those who participated in the March demonstration supported civil rights enforcement as one of the ways to address discrimination against African Americans because of race prejudice. The fight for jobs and freedom reflected the hopes and aspirations of black people. Randolph and other civil rights activists opposed racism and injustice and the fight for equality required positive action to support freedom for all.
2) Eugene Debs
Eugene Debs delivered the Canton, Ohio speech and the Statement to the Court in 1918. Eugene Debs was the leader of the American Railway Union and a presidential candidate who promoted legislation to facilitate industrial action. In the anti-war speech, Debs protested the US involvement in WWI and Debs was a socialist who took an anti-war stance and rallied against the “Wall Street gentry” who were the moneyed elite who oppressed. To Debs, he and his supporters were not the real traitorous as there were aristocratic conspirators with money who wanted to subvert the will of the people Debs supported peaceful orderly means to promote better working conditions and free institutions.This meant that it was necessary for the people and controls their own industries to free themselves from exploitation by the industry and capital owners. Debs’ argument highlighted the need to protect the working class working with production machinery and proving cheap labor, but being paid lowly and being in poor working conditions. Because of Debs's actions, he was convicted of violating the Sedition Act, which necessitated the Statement to the Court. Sedition implied that Debs was involved in subversion incitement to rebellion for his anti-war rhetoric and stance. To Debs, his anti-war stance and the case for eliminating workers’ exploitation were necessary to create a more just society. 
3) Sit-Down Strikes (generally)
The sit-down strikes were that labor unions adopted in the 1930s, where the striking workers focused on not leaving factories and disrupting production as part of industrial action. Genora Johnson Dollinger was one of the few successful women who promoted strikes where she ...