We are proud to pay tribute to Nellie Stone Johnson, an African American civil rights activist and union leader from Minneapolis, for everything she did to fight for labor and union rights. Johnson’s work was instrumental to the founding of the DFL and was fueled by her passion for working for the rights of working Minnesotans. We are proud to carry on her legacy as we work to build a better Minnesota.
While Johnson was growing up in rural Minnesota, her father was incredibly involved in the community as he served on the school board and organized fellow farmers into cooperatives to protect farming interests. It was at the University of Minnesota where Johnson began to get involved in labor organizing herself. While working at the Minneapolis Athletic Club, she encountered workplace discrimination and anti-union employers. In response, she and other employees unionized. Johnson went on to serve on her local union’s contract committee and end segregation in the club’s work facilities. Continue reading “A Black History Month Tribute to Nellie Stone Johnson”